Members of Congress Ask for Review of Dropped Espionage Case

Members of Congress Ask for Review of Dropped Espionage Case

By NICOLE PERLROTH May 25, 2015

美国议员质询反间谍调查是否歧视华裔

NICOLE PERLROTH 2015年05月25日

http://cn.nytimes.com/usa/20150525/c25espionage/dual/ 

Twenty-two members of Congress have asked Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch to determine whether race played a factor in espionage-related charges brought against a Chinese-American hydrologist and are asking her to investigate whether there is a practice of targeting federal employees based on their race or national origin.

22位国会议员已经提请司法部长洛蕾塔‧E‧林奇(Loretta E. Lynch)作出判断，在一位华裔美籍水文学家遭到间谍罪相关指控的过程中，种族因素是否发挥了作用。议员们还敦促她就司法实践中是否存在基于联邦雇员的种族或出生国锁定调查目标的情况展开调查。

Representative Ted W. Lieu, a Democrat of California, said in an interview Tuesday that he was concerned that the investigation of Sherry Chen, a 59-year-old National Weather Service employee who was targeted in a high-profile espionage case that was dropped shortly before a trial was set to begin, may be indicative of a broader racial profiling campaign against Asian-Americans.

加利福尼亚州民主党众议员刘云平(Ted W. Lieu)周二接受采访时称，他担心的是，59岁的美国国家气象局(National Weather Service)雇员陈霞芬遭到调查一事，意味着针对亚裔美国人的种族脸谱化做法正在扩散。陈霞芬是一起广受关注的间谍案的嫌疑人，但检方在她即将出庭受审前撤销了指控。

“There’s been a history of discrimination against Asian Pacific Americans, and the recurrent theme is one of suspicion,” Mr. Lieu said. “We now have Sherry Chen’s case, and I want to make sure our federal government does not discriminate against any Americans, especially federal employees.”

“亚太裔美国人遭受歧视的现象由来已久，这个群体的成员一再受到怀疑，”刘云平说，“现在又出了陈霞芬案，我想要确保我们的联邦政府不会歧视任何一个美国人，尤其是联邦雇员。”

In a letter to Ms. Lynch, Mr. Lieu and 21 members of Congress said they were responding to a recent article in The New York Times that reported federal agents investigated Mrs. Chen as a possible Chinese spy, found no evidence, but still arrested her for lesser charges that could have led to 25 years in prison and $1 million in fines.

刘云平和另外21位国会议员在写给林奇的一封信中表示，此番致信是对《纽约时报》最近刊发的一篇报道的响应。报道称，联邦特工对疑似中国间谍的陈霞芬展开调查，没有发现任何相关证据，但还是以较轻的罪名将其逮捕。那些罪名如果成立，陈霞芬可能要坐25年牢，并缴纳100万美元罚款。

The government dropped its charges, without explanation, in March. Mrs. Chen was initially suspended without pay, but her benefits and pay have been restored. She is still awaiting a decision from the Commerce Department, which oversees the weather service, on whether it plans to reinstate her.

今年3月，当局没有做出任何解释便撤销了指控。陈霞芬一开始处于无薪行政离职状态，但现在其工资和福利都已恢复。至于国家气象局是否会重新雇佣她，还要等该机构的上级部门商务部(Commerce Department)做出决定。

Mrs. Chen has said in interviews that she would like her job back. She has not been back to her Wilmington, Ohio, office since the day she was escorted away in handcuffs by six F.B.I. agents.

陈霞芬接受采访时表示，她想要回自己的工作。自从戴着手铐在6名FBI特工的押解下离开位于俄亥俄州威尔明顿的办公室那天起，她一直没有回去过。

Representatives from the Commerce Department did not respond to requests for an update of her employment status.

商务部里一些有权对外发言的官员没有回答与陈霞芬最新就业状况有关的问题。

Mr. Lieu, as well as members of Asian-American rights groups, are asking for Mrs. Chen’s reinstatement, including five months’ back pay and a public apology.

刘云平和亚裔美国人权益团体的成员们正敦促相关方面允许陈霞芬回归原职，为她补发5个月的工资，并向她公开道歉。

“We are all in favor of catching the bad guys when the bad guys do something bad, but we are seriously concerned that the F.B.I. and company are jumping to conclusions, not based on any evidence, but on racial profiling,” said George Koo, a member of the Committee of 100, a Chinese-American advocacy group formed in 1990 to promote relations between the United States and China.

“当坏人干坏事时，我们都赞成将其绳之以法，但我们非常担心FBI和企业基于种族脸谱化因素而非真凭实据贸然下结论。”华裔美国人倡导团体“ 百人会”(Committee of 100)的成员顾屏山(George Koo)说。百人会创立于1990年，旨在促进中美关系。

“Whenever the relationship is poor, Chinese-Americans suddenly become suspected spies for China,” Mr. Koo said in an interview. “Sherry Chen is just the latest example.”

“每当中美关系紧张时，华裔美国人就会突然被怀疑给中国当间谍，”顾屏山接受采访时说。“陈霞芬只不过是最新的例子。”

In the letter to Ms. Lynch, Mr. Lieu and other members of Congress, including California Democrats Barbara Lee, Michael M. Honda, Judy Chu and Mark Takano, said they were particularly concerned that a government insider-threat program, introduced in response to leaks by Edward J. Snowden in 2013, might have led to spurious investigations.

刘云平和其他众议员——包括加利福尼亚州民主党议员芭芭拉·李(Barbara Lee)、赵美心(Judy Chu)和马克·高野(Mark Takano)——在给林奇的信中说，他们尤为担心的是，政府为了响应2013年的爱德华·J·斯诺登(Edward J. Snowden)泄密案而启动的一个内部威胁项目，可能已经让很多人遭到了荒谬的调查。

Mr. Lieu noted that it was a government employee who first reported Mrs. Chen. “Federal employees are trained that naturalized citizens are more suspicious and that people who speak a foreign language at home are more suspicious,” he added. “Well that would also apply to me, and I find it offensive.”

刘云平指出，最先举报陈霞芬的是一名政府雇员。“联邦雇员在培训中被告知，归化入籍的人更为可疑，在家里说另一种语言的人更为可疑，”他补充道。“以这样的标准判断，我也是可疑的，我觉得受到了冒犯。”

The Justice Department has been under significant pressure for the last two years, following reports of Chinese cyberattacks, to investigate and prosecute cases under the Economic Espionage Act. In 2013, the White House introduced a five-part strategy to tackle trade secret theft, a cornerstone of which was more investigations and prosecutions.

自从关于中国发动网络攻击的报道出炉以来，过去两年间，司法部一直面临着根据《经济间谍法》(Economic Espionage Act)就一些案件进行调查和检控的巨大压力。2013年，白宫启动了一项由五个部分组成、旨在打击商业秘密盗窃行为的战略，其中提到的基本措施之一就是进行更多的调查和检控。

Mr. Koo of the Committee of 100 said Asian-American groups hoped to help Mrs. Chen get her job back.

百人会”(Committee of 100)的顾屏山说，华裔美国人团体希望能帮助陈霞芬要回工作。