‘Whereas I’m relieved that my ordeal is over, I’m conscious that this terribly misguided China Initiative continues to carry unwarranted worry to the tutorial neighborhood and different scientists nonetheless face fees,” Gang Chen stated in a press release.
By Bloomberg
Revealed On 20 Jan 2022
U.S. prosecutors dropped an indictment in opposition to an MIT professor charged a 12 months in the past with receiving federal grant cash however failing to reveal his ties to China.
The reversal within the case of Gang Chen, a nanotechnology professional on the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise, comes because the Justice Division is reviewing its coverage of investigating and prosecuting circumstances of financial espionage meant to learn China.
“I need to thank the numerous associates, colleagues, and household that supported me throughout this horrible 12 months,” Chen stated in a press release. “Whereas I’m relieved that my ordeal is over, I’m conscious that this terribly misguided China Initiative continues to carry unwarranted worry to the tutorial neighborhood and different scientists nonetheless face fees.”
The U.S. has prosecuted dozens of individuals for hacking, committing information and commerce secret theft, and concealing ties to the Chinese language authorities. The trouble was particularly vigorous below the Trump administration. However final 12 months the federal government dropped circumstances and a decide ordered an acquittal due to legislation enforcement errors and prosecutorial overzealousness.
Chen was indicted final January, accused of defrauding the Division of Vitality in getting a grant by making “false statements and materials omissions” about his “skilled expertise, actions, sources of help, and awards” involving China.
Prosecutors concluded that their proof on the relevance and impression of Chen’s alleged omissions not met their burden of proof at trial, in response to a press release by U.S. Lawyer Rachael Rollins in Boston.
“We’ve an obligation in each matter we pursue to repeatedly study the information whereas being open to receiving and uncovering new info,” Rollins stated. The dismissal was “is within the pursuits of justice,” she stated.
“The federal government lastly acknowledged what we’ve got stated all alongside: Professor Gang Chen is an harmless man,” protection lawyer Robert Fisher stated in a press release. “Our protection was by no means primarily based on any authorized technicalities. Our protection was this: Gang didn’t commit any of the offenses he was charged with.”
Fisher stated Chen “was by no means an abroad scientist for Beijing” and that he “disclosed every thing he was presupposed to disclose and he by no means lied to the federal government or anybody else.”
The case is U.S. v. Chen, 21-cr-10018, U.S. District Courtroom, District of Massachusetts (Boston).