A contractor of the US Defense Department is charged with transmitting highly sensitive classified material to a foreign national connected to Hezbollah.
In a statement, the Defense Department alleges that linguist Mariam Taha Thompson, 61, formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, “gathered and transmitted” material that included “classified national defense information regarding active human assets, including their true names.”
“While in a war zone, the defendant allegedly gave sensitive national defense information, including the names of individuals helping the United States, to a Lebanese national located overseas,” says Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.
“If true, this conduct is a disgrace, especially for someone serving as a contractor with the United States military,” he says. “This betrayal of country and colleagues will be punished.”
Thompson was arrested by FBI Special Agents on February 27, 2020, at an overseas US military facility, where she worked as a contract linguist and held a top secret government security clearance, the statement says.
If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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