Posted on 09/13/2007 8:03:46 AM PDT by CedarDave
It's unlikely that Gov. Bill Richardson will be reminding voters in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination of this part of his fabled resume.
Former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2000 to a single count of mishandling nuclear secrets, ending an ordeal in which the Taiwanese-American scientist had spent 278 days in solitary confinement after being arrested in December 1999 for allegedly violating the Atomic Energy Act and stealing nuclear secrets.
Seven years ago today, federal prosecutors dropped 58 counts of illegally downloading classified data from Los Alamos National Laboratory computers, and Lee was given an extraordinary apology by U.S. District Judge James A. Parker who accused the federal government of "abuse of power" in going after Lee.
It was while Richardson was President Bill Clinton's energy secretary that he ordered Lee's firing and was considered by some to be the source who leaked Lee's name to reporters -- which became the object of a lawsuit by Lee, who sued the Energy Department, the FBI and "unnamed individuals" for damages he suffered to his reputation caused by leaks of confidential information.
According to the Albuquerque Journal story at the time of the lawsuit, Richardson denied in sworn testimony that he was the source of the leaks or that he made any improper disclosures.
It was announced in June 2006 that the government and five news organizations settled the privacy lawsuit for a total of $1,650,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
NM Ping!
Soome day, I hope, someone will write a book about the way security procedures and classified materials handling were made farcical during the reign of Richardson’s predecessor, a female nonentity whose name has escaped (what remains of ) my mind. How that national security fiasco was swept under yet another Clinton rug deserves to be revealed.
Let’s see now. Wen Ho Lee was criminally negligent, at least, with the way he handled America’s nuclear secrets. He was almost certainly a spy, although one school of thought has it that he was a double agent. It is very likely Richardson was the one who revealed his name and violated his “privacy,” although Richardson of course denied it. Lee, playing his victim card cleverly, ends up $1.6 million courtesy of the taxpayers for having his “privacy” invaded. Where is he now?
I have no idea. Probably still in Los Alamos as he and his wife had a nice house there. How much in money he has after he gets through paying his lawyers and the IRS, I don't know.
If you want on or off the NM Ping list, please FReepmail me.
Hazel O’ Leary
When she stopped by Sandia on a tour, they showed her the manipulator arms in the hot cell. There were 2 sets, one “Master” and one “Slave”. Her comment? “Re-name those immediately!”
Another Clintoon afirmative action poster child.
He also wrote that book, which I heard it’s procedes went to pay for his lawyer fees.
Sorry about the gaps...hot links didn’t transfer.
***When she stopped by Sandia on a tour, they showed her the manipulator arms in the hot cell. There were 2 sets, one Master and one Slave. Her comment? Re-name those immediately!***
Don’t let her near my auto brakes!
Hazel O Leary
When she stopped by Sandia on a tour, they showed her the manipulator arms in the hot cell. There were 2 sets, one Master and one Slave. Her comment? Re-name those immediately!
Another Clintoon afirmative action poster child.
Among some of the other stupid changes she mandated was having all the badges redone in all one color. She apparently claimed that having different colors for different clearances was discrimination.
I remember that one now!
She’s also the reason for those “slap you first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen all day” turnstiles.
They’re not so bad compared to getting a vehicle into area 5.
Ah, memories! I rather enjoyed A-5, only because getting in there was such a pain, it kept out the high level busy-bodies that only drove out there when they got bored with life in A-1.
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