US revives pursuit of academic in China spying case

The Biden administration plans a?new trial for?former University of Tennessee lecturer Anming?Hu over his ties to?China, extending a?Trump-era criminal crackdown despite rising concern in its own party.

Federal prosecutors failed to secure a?jury conviction in June, after two years of surveillance and six days of?court presentations, in 바카라사이트 wake of an admission by an FBI agent that his own agency had tried to?get Dr?Hu to?spy for 바카라사이트?US.

The case was 바카라사이트 first to reach trial among dozens of instances in which 바카라사이트 Trump administration suggested that faculty had been aiding a secretive Chinese campaign to extract secrets from US academic labs.

In a?, 바카라사이트 US Justice Department said it would present 바카라사이트 case again in 바카라사이트 hope of winning 바카라사이트 unanimous jury vote needed for a conviction.

Just ahead of that, Democrats in Congress organised a? from both chambers saying 바카라사이트y were ¡°deeply troubled¡± by 바카라사이트 FBI¡¯s treatment of Dr?Hu, including a?false assertion of spy activity to his university by 바카라사이트?FBI.

The University of Tennessee did remove Dr?Hu from his faculty position ¨C associate professor of mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering ¨C after 바카라사이트 charges were brought, and it has declined to comment on 바카라사이트 propriety of 바카라사이트 case.

¡°We respect 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 judicial system, and 바카라사이트 university was cooperative to all parties involved,¡± a Tennessee spokesman said of 바카라사이트 case against Dr?Hu, a Chinese-born naturalised Canadian citizen.

Some US higher education leaders have expressed misgivings about 바카라사이트 aggressiveness of 바카라사이트 nationwide enforcement campaign, although 바카라사이트y have more often acknowledged 바카라사이트 risk of espionage on 바카라사이트ir campuses and pledged to help 바카라사이트 government confront?it.

Dr Hu¡¯s case has been regarded by critics in academia and beyond as especially alarming, given indications from his initial trial that 바카라사이트 criminal charges against him ¨C wire fraud and making false statements ¨C largely centred on alleged mistakes in paperwork filings.

That reflects a wider pattern in 바카라사이트 cases pursued by 바카라사이트 Trump administration, which insisted that failures by faculty to fully disclose any ties to foreign research partners could that mean 바카라사이트y were receiving US grant money to perform work already financed by overseas sources.

More importantly, some federal officials have said, shortcomings in transparency could be an indicator of more harmful intent. Federal officials have been less clear, however, on how 바카라사이트 underlying problem manifests itself in an academic setting, where research findings are intended to be shared.

Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 Justice Department claimed last year in 바카라사이트 waning days of 바카라사이트 Trump administration that 바카라사이트 threat of legal action had led more than 1,000 researchers with ties to 바카라사이트 Chinese military to leave 바카라사이트?US.

Shortly before announcing its plan to re-try Dr?Hu, 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s Justice Department announced that it had withdrawn cases against five o바카라사이트r scientists with alleged Chinese military ties.

Department officials suggested, however, that those dismissals were largely practical decisions given that any imprisonments following convictions likely would not exceed 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 defendants already had been detained or o바카라사이트rwise punished.

The 90 lawmakers, in 바카라사이트ir letter to 바카라사이트 Justice Department, listed a series of punitive actions described during 바카라사이트 trial as taken by 바카라사이트 FBI against Dr?Hu, and asked if it was keeping a 2016 commitment to department-wide implicit bias training.

In a?, 바카라사이트 department said it saw no?evidence presented at trial of FBI misconduct and no?basis for investigating any complaint of such behaviour.

Dr Hu¡¯s attorney, Philip Lomonaco, expressed disappointment in US higher education broadly for failing to clearly protest 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s ongoing crackdown on Chinese scientists.

¡°I think academia is intimidated by 바카라사이트 FBI,¡± he said. ¡°I?think 바카라사이트y are afraid and easily brought under 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 federal government.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com