In 1992, Official Investigations in Italy Revealed Political Corruption at the Highest

In 1992, official investigations in Italy revealed political corruption at the highest levels. How had Italy's governing parties avoided such scrutiny and criticism for so long?

A) The governing parties had projected themselves as Italy's defenders against communism.
B) It took many years to unravel the extremely complex and secret web of bribes.
C) The government had succeeded in muzzling the press, either through payoffs or threats.
D ) Italians had been willing to overlook the government's corrupt practices because of its successes in balancing the budget and lowering crime rates.