United States v. Lance Henry Wilson, United States of America v. Leonard E. Briscoe, Sr., United States of America v. Maurice David Steier

Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge WALD.

WALD, Circuit Judge:

This case arose out of an investigation into abuses and mismanagement at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) initiated by Congress in 1989. In March 1990, on petition of the Attorney General, a special division of this court appointed an independent counsel pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (“Ethics Act” or “Act”), § 601(a), as amended, 28 U.S.C. § 593(b) (1988), to pursue the investigation. At the close of the investigation, defendants were prosecuted for involvement in an alleged bribery…