US diplomat pleads guilty in China spying case

A former US diplomat pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to investigators about money she received from Chinese intelligence agents in exchange for US documents, the Justice Department said.

Candace Marie Claiborne, 63, was a Department of State office management specialist based in Beijing and Shanghai who became involved beginning in 2007 with two men the Justice Department said she knew were agents of China's Ministry of State Security.

They gave her "tens of thousands" of dollars in cash and gifts in exchange for documents and information on State Department activities, it said.

Claiborne was arrested two years ago following an investigation but was not charged with espionage.

She admitted conspiracy to defraud the United States, lying to investigators and, as a government official with a high security clearance, illegally hiding her contacts with foreign agents.

The conspiracy charge could carry up to five years in prison.

"Candace Marie Claiborne traded her integrity and non-public information of the United States government in exchange for cash and other gifts from foreign agents she knew worked for the Chinese intelligence service," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Russia sentences Norwegian charged with espionage to 14 years
Moscow (AFP) April 16, 2019
A Moscow court on Tuesday convicted a retired Norwegian border guard who was charged with spying on Russian nuclear submarines and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. Frode Berg, 63, was detained in Moscow in 2017 following a sting operation by Russia's FSB security service. A former Russian police officer was accused of handing Berg files on the Russian navy and given a 13-year prison term in December. Berg has admitted to acting several times as a courier for the Norwegian intelligence s ... read more