美国务院雇员因谎报收受中国人礼物被控罪
在美国国务院长期工作的一名雇员被捕，并因没有如实向调查人员报告她从中国情报人员那里得到的一些联系人信息和礼物而受到起诉。美国司法部说，坎戴斯·玛丽·克莱本在联邦法官面前做出无罪申辩。
克莱本自1999年起担任国务院的办公室管理专家，她通过了最高级别的保密审查，先后被派往在巴格达、喀土穆、北京和上海等地的美国使领馆工作。
检方称，在克莱本驻中国时，中国官员送给她价值数万美元的礼物，包括现金、电脑、餐饮、旅游和一个公寓。检方说，做为交换，一名中国情报人员要求克莱本提供美国政府对美中战略经济对话的内部分析报告。
克莱本受到起诉的罪名包括没有告知联邦调查局她与中国情报人员的联系，而这是她的最高级别保密审查所要求的，因此阻碍了司法部所称的“正式程序”。
司法部官员说，克莱本“利用自己的职务以及能够得到敏感外交数据的便利换取个人利益”，并说美国雇员如果违反了给与他们的信任，就将被追究责任。如果被定罪，克莱本将面临最多25年的监禁。
美国国务院代理发言人托纳说：“当公职人员做出涉嫌违反公众信任的潜在不当行为或触犯联邦法律时，我们大力调查此类案件，国务院坚定地致力于与司法部和我们的其他执法合作伙伴进行调查和工作，调查任何关于犯罪活动的指控，并将罪犯绳之以法。”
State Dept Official Charged with Lying About Gifts from Chinese Agents
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."
参议院委员会承诺彻查俄罗斯对美大选影响
在受到密切关注的公开听证会前夕，美国参议院情报委员会的共和党主席和资深民主党人承诺对俄罗斯对去年美国大选的影响，以及川普总统核心团队与俄罗斯的任何可能的联系进行详尽无误的调查。
情报委员会主席、来自北卡罗来纳州的共和党人理查德·伯尔周三在新闻发布会上说：“情报指向那里，这项调查的范围就将包括哪里。” 委员会最资深的民主党成员、弗吉尼亚州参议员马克·华纳附和说，“我们将深入调查到底”。
伯尔表示，已经收到了“前所未有数量的文件”，委员会正在不断与情报部门谈判，以获取更多的资料。他补充说，将进行至少20次约谈，包括对川普总统的顾问和女婿贾里斯·库什纳，库什纳自愿与该委员会会面。
除了俄罗斯想要达到的目标，伯尔和华纳都没有透露迄今为止得出的任何结论。华纳说，“普京的目标是一个削弱了的美国。”他说，“经济上疲软，在全球影响力减弱。这应该是不论党派的所有美国人都关心的问题。”
众议院情报委员会一直在主导对俄罗斯问题的调查。但是，该委员会取消了本周的公开听证会。与此同时，该委员会主席、共和党人德文·努涅斯向川普总统汇报了他未与委员会分享的机密信息。
在众议院情报委员会看似出现混乱之际，参议院情报委员会成了焦点。伯尔说，他去年11月投了川普一票，但是他否认同在共和党阵营会影响到他的工作。
即使如此，越来越多的民主党人表示，共和党人控制下的国会委员会可能永远不会让事实浮出水面。
白宫曾抱怨这是国会对总统团队进行的抹黑运动，但承认需要进行调查。
Senate Panel to Follow Russia Probe 'Wherever the Intelligence Leads It'
On the eve of closely watched public hearings, the Republican chairman and top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee pledged an exhaustive and impartial probe of Russian meddling in last year’s election, and any possible collusion by President Donald Trump’s inner circle.
“This investigation’s scope will go wherever the intelligence leads it,” Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, said at a news conference Wednesday. “We will get to the bottom of this,” concurred Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the committee’s ranking Democrat.
Burr said an "unprecedented amount of documents" have been received, and the committee is in "constant negotiation" with the intelligence community to gain access to additional material. He added that there will be at least 20 interviews to conduct, including with President Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who volunteered to speak with the panel.
Neither Burr nor Warner revealed any conclusions reached so far, except Russia’s aims. “Vladimir Putin’s goal is a weaker United States,” Warner said. “Weaker economically, weaker globally. And that should be a concern to all Americans regardless of party affiliation.”
Until now, the House Intelligence Committee had taken the lead in the Russia probe. But that committee cancelled open hearings this week amid a firestorm surrounding its chairman, Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, who personally briefed President Trump on classified material he had not yet shared with the committee.
With the House panel seemingly in disarray, its Senate counterpart is now in the spotlight. Burr said he cast his ballot for Trump last November, but he denied that party loyalty would color his work.
Even so, a growing number of Democrats say the full truth may never come to light in Republican controlled legislative committees.
The White House has complained of a smear campaign against the president’s team, but acknowledged the need for investigations to proceed.
