美國務院僱員因謊報收受中國人禮物被控罪

A long-time U.S. State Department employee has been arrested and charged with lying to investigators about numerous contacts and gifts she got from Chinese intelligence agents. The Justice Department says Candace Marie Claiborne pleaded not guilty before a federal judge.

Claiborne has been a State Department Office Management Specialist since 1999. She had a Top Secret security clearance and was posted to embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Khartoum, Shanghai and Beijing.

Prosecutors allege Chinese officials showered Claiborne with tens of thousands of dollars in gifts when she was there, including cash, computers, meals, travel and an apartment. Prosecutors say in exchange for cash, a Chinese intelligence agent asked Claiborne to provide internal U.S. government analysis of a U.S.-Chinese economic conference.

Clairborne is charged with failing to tell the FBI about her contacts with the Chinese agents -- a requirement of her Top Secret security clearance -- and obstructing what the Justice Department calls an "official proceeding."

Justice officials say Claiborne "used her position and her access to sensitive diplomatic data for personal profit" and say U.S. employees will be held accountable if they fail to honor the trust placed in them. Claiborne faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, "When a public servant is suspected of potential misconduct or federal crimes that violate the public trust, we vigorously investigate such claims. The Department of State is firmly committed to investigating and working with the Department of Justice and our other law enforcement partners to investigate any allegations of criminal activity and bring those who commit crimes to justice."在美國國務院長期工作的一名僱員被捕，並因沒有如實向調查人員報告她從中國情報人員那裏得到的一些聯繫人信息和禮物而受到起訴。美國司法部說，坎戴斯·瑪麗·克萊本在聯邦法官面前做出無罪申辯。

克萊本自1999年起擔任國務院的辦公室管理專家，她通過了最高級別的保密審查，先後被派往在巴格達、喀土穆、北京和上海等地的美國使領館工作。

檢方稱，在克萊本駐中國時，中國官員送給她價值數萬美元的禮物，包括現金、電腦、餐飲、旅遊和一個公寓。檢方說，做爲交換，一名中國情報人員要求克萊本提供美國政府對美中戰略經濟對話的內部分析報告。

克萊本受到起訴的罪名包括沒有告知聯邦調查局她與中國情報人員的聯繫，而這是她的最高級別保密審查所要求的，因此阻礙了司法部所稱的“正式程序”。

司法部官員說，克萊本“利用自己的職務以及能夠得到敏感外交數據的便利換取個人利益”，並說美國僱員如果違反了給與他們的信任，就將被追究責任。如果被定罪，克萊本將面臨最多25年的監禁。

美國國務院代理髮言人託納說：“當公職人員做出涉嫌違反公衆信任的潛在不當行爲或觸犯聯邦法律時，我們大力調查此類案件，國務院堅定地致力於與司法部和我們的其他執法合作伙伴進行調查和工作，調查任何關於犯罪活動的指控，並將罪犯繩之以法。”