Posted on 12/11/2004 12:54:59 PM PST by Ginifer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former FBI agent who was briefly assigned to the Los Angeles bureau's Chinese counterintelligence unit was charged with telling the subject of a national security probe that he was under investigation.
Denise K. Woo, 45, was arraigned Monday on a five-count indictment charging her with deliberately disclosing a covert FBI operation and of lying to fellow FBI agents. She was freed on $50,000 bail.
Her lawyer said Friday she was actually trying to help an innocent man.
"Denise Woo was forced to assist in an espionage investigation of an innocent man, and the FBI unfortunately has sought to criminalize her efforts to prevent a terrible tragedy," said attorney Mark Holscher.
He added he was defending Woo for free because she was a victim of FBI scapegoating. Holscher also helped defend Chinese American scientist Wen Ho Lee in his successful fight against espionage charges. Woo's indictment was sealed after her arraignment, and the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office refused to discuss the case.
But the Los Angeles Times, which obtained a copy of the indictment, reported Saturday that the covert operation Woo allegedly blew the whistle on focused on a Chinese American man who worked for a defense contractor and was suspected of passing sensitive information on to the Chinese government. He was never charged with any crime.
According to a source the newspaper did not identify, Woo, who is also a Chinese American, was recruited for the case in 1999 because the target of the investigation was a friend of her family. Before that she worked on white-collar crime cases.
She was placed on administrative leave and subsequently fired after FBI agents questioned her in 1999.
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
"Woo...was recruited for the case in 1999 because the target of the investigation was a friend of her family."
That doesn't seem like a very bright idea to me, seems like a conflict of interest. Is this SOP for the FBI?
The FBI needs a GOSS type leader to clean house in the FBI.
JanetteS wrote:
I had no idea it was the job of a FBI agent to determine the guilt or innocence of the people they were investigating.
Isn't it F B I (intelligence) and not F B J (judgment) ?
Whether Lee is guilty of espionage or not I would think Woo certainly is because she tried to help him and undermine the investigation.
.........................................................
My thoughts exactly. If she was a friend of the person under investigation the best thing she could have done is bolster the evidence that could exonerate her friend. To out right compromise an investigation into espionage is paramount to treason.
"forced to assist in an espionage investigation of an innocent man"
I had the very same comment as you. It's not her job to judge the man's guilt or innocence. She is only there to "investigate" - not prosecute.
The entire lot starting with Freeh and Mueller should be put in prison for 99 years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.