Justice Department Throws In Towel

The Justice Department has thrown in the towel on a two-year prosecution of businessmen charged in a foreign bribery sting. District Judge Richard Leon granted the department's motion to dismiss all charges against 16 defendants. The move came after two cases fell apart. Jurors already acquitted 10 defendants after long trials under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. They were arrested at a Las Vegas trade show, charged with bribing officials of Gabon. Judge Leon said both the FBI sting and the prosecutions were botched from the beginning.