Posted on 03/31/2017 8:51:38 PM PDT by PA Engineer
State Department Employee Arrested and Charged With Concealing Extensive Contacts With Foreign Agents
A federal complaint was unsealed today charging Candace Marie Claiborne, 60, of Washington, D.C., and an employee of the U.S. Department of State, with obstructing an official proceeding and making false statements to the FBI, both felony offenses, for allegedly concealing numerous contacts that she had over a period of years with foreign intelligence agents.
The charges were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord for National Security, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBIs Washington Field Office.
Candace Marie Claiborne is a U.S. State Department employee who possesses a Top Secret security clearance and allegedly failed to report her contacts with Chinese foreign intelligence agents who provided her with thousands of dollars of gifts and benefits, said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. Claiborne used her position and her access to sensitive diplomatic data for personal profit. Pursuing those who imperil our national security for personal gain will remain a key priority of the National Security Division.
Candace Claiborne is charged with obstructing an official proceeding and making false statements in connection with her alleged concealment and failure to report her improper connections to foreign contacts along with the tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits they provided, said U.S. Attorney Phillips. As a State Department employee with a Top Secret clearance, she received training and briefing about the need for caution and transparency. This case demonstrates that U.S. government employees will be held accountable for failing to honor the trust placed in them when they take on such sensitive assignments
Candace Claiborne is accused of violating her oath of office as a State Department employee, who was entrusted with Top Secret information when she purposefully mislead federal investigators about her significant and repeated interactions with foreign contacts," said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. "The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who, though required by law, fail to report foreign contacts, which is a key indicator of potential insider threats posed by those in positions of public trust.
The FBI arrested Claiborne on March 28. She made her first appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint and arrest warrant, which was unsealed today, Claiborne began working as an Office Management Specialist for the Department of State in 1999. She has served overseas at a number of posts, including embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Iraq, Khartoum, Sudan, and Beijing and Shanghai, China. As a condition of her employment, Claiborne maintains a Top Secret security clearance. Claiborne also is required to report any contacts with persons suspected of affiliation with a foreign intelligence agency.
Despite such a requirement, the affidavit alleges, Claiborne failed to report repeated contacts with two intelligence agents of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), even though these agents provided tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits to Claiborne and her family over five years. According to the affidavit, the gifts and benefits included cash wired to Claibornes USAA account, an Apple iPhone and laptop computer, Chinese New Years gifts, meals, international travel and vacations, tuition at a Chinese fashion school, a fully furnished apartment, and a monthly stipend. Some of these gifts and benefits were provided directly to Claiborne, the affidavit alleges, while others were provided through a co-conspirator.
According to the affidavit, Claiborne noted in her journal that she could Generate 20k in 1 year working with one of the PRC agents, who, shortly after wiring $2,480 to Claiborne, tasked her with providing internal U.S. Government analyses on a U.S.-Sino Strategic Economic Dialogue that had just concluded.
Claiborne, who allegedly confided to a co-conspirator that the PRC agents were spies, willfully misled State Department background investigators and FBI investigators about her contacts with those agents, the affidavit states. After the State Department and FBI investigators contacted her, Claiborne also instructed her co-conspirators to delete evidence connecting her to the PRC agents, the affidavit alleges.
Charges contained in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum penalty for a person convicted of obstructing an official proceeding is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for making false statements to the FBI is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
At her court appearance today, Claiborne pleaded not guilty before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather. A preliminary hearing was set for April 18.
The FBIs Washington Field Office is leading the investigation into this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John L. Hill and Thomas A. Gillice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie Edelstein of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Yes Hmmmm.
It is far from unreasonable to assume she was a conduit, a pipe, through which others allowed selected information to flow
That photo shows up once in Google images, but when you click on go to page, the photo is not in the story. Scrubbing bubbles must have been used.
Thanks for the photo.
TREASON
If that's the case, why is Illary still walking around free?
It never ceases to amaze me how little money it takes for someone to betray their country
This bitch is a small pea in an enormous pod of criminals that have been installed in government security positions. Any Obama holdovers are suspect and Obama is the head of the snake.
Thousands of dollars?! I got Hundreds of Millions! Piker!
USAA should only be for military, retired military, and their families - not leaches like this one.
On Target.
Doubtful! The OPM breach was more likely due to the hiring of a Latin American (for some reason I think Argentinean!) IT firm that was full of Chinese workers to upgrade & manage OPM records. Remember ZeroBama appointees are still responsible.
“She looks like such a happy party girl.”
She won’t be now that she has been denied her perks - just like the one below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTDTnRD-AiQ
The affidavit reads like a scene from “24” - you can’t make this stuff up. WOW. But I think a lot of people might have missed this point on the top of page 51 - WOW - A Muslim - “...May Allah bless you...”
Who would have thought in Obama - Hillary State Department - Repeating what you pointed out:
“210. The next day, on or about August 24,2016, Claiborne sent Co-Conspirator A an e-card message using the service Birthday Alarm. The messages subject was Happy Birthday, even though Co-Conspirator As birthday occurred five days before, and Claiborne had conveyed birthday greetings by phone to Co-Conspirator A on his actual birthday. The message, however, had little to do with Co-Conspirator As birthday. To the contrary, it read, I hope you enjoyed your day. May Allah bless you with health and happiness. Btw delete all email messages and contract information in your email and phone pertaining to [Co-Conspirator B] and [Co-Conspirator C] - I dont want any trouble going forward ok - please do this immediately! Messages, nos, anything having to do with that fashion school your apartment anything - even from wechat, fb, slqpe, etc u got me?
20,000.00 per year is tip money if she had a TS access She should have been have been able to make 2-4 million per year, if she has been spying for nearly 20 years.
Which one is Hillary??
HA!
“According to the affidavit, Claiborne noted in her journal that she could Generate 20k in 1 year working with one of the PRC agents, who, shortly after wiring $2,480 to Claiborne, tasked her with providing internal U.S. Government analyses on a U.S.-Sino Strategic Economic Dialogue that had just concluded.”
.........
“The U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue was established by President Obama and Chinese President Hu in April 2009 and represents the highest-level bilateral forum to discuss a broad range of issues between the two nations. The Dialogue is an essential step in advancing a positive, constructive, and comprehensive relationship between the two countries. “
https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/Pages/china.aspx
Any investigations into the five murders within a month last summer? Seth Rich et al?
We the People want Justice for Hillary Clinton. She's making noises about running in 2020? I assume she'll be in jail by then. So many felonies, so little time. .
Go Jeff Sessions!
Pursuing those who imperil our national security for personal gain will remain a key priority of the National Security Division.
Oh, really? This is exactly what the Clintons did through the Clinton Foundation. Pay Bill for a speech and/or donate to the foundation and Hillary, as SOS, grants you a “favor”. Think about that. This woman they charged is an “employee”. Hillary was top dog.
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