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A former high -ranking official of the Federal Reserve was arrested on Friday after the US prosecutor’s office had accused him of passing on economic secrets to China.
John Rogers, a high-ranking consultant in the international finance department of the Fed from 2010-21, used his position to access sensitive data on numerical tariffs, briefings for civil servants and political debates and announcements. This goes from an indictment point in Washington, which was not sealed in a federal court on Friday before the Federal Supreme Court.
The 63 -year -old Rogers from Virginia was accused of transferring sensitive information to his personal e -mail account before printing it out and passing on to Chinese officials who were disguised as a doctoral student. He also used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with Chinese officials, the indictment says.
The Ministry of Justice said on Friday that Rogers had “met his co -conspirement in Chinese hotel rooms under the guise of the teaching” courses “, where he gave them sensitive trade secrecy Fed.
It also added that the economist was paid around $ 450,000 as a part-time professor at Fudan University in China.
Rogers’ lawyer could not be reached immediately for a comment.
The indictment is the youngest in an increasing number of cases in which officials from the entire US government – and especially agencies such as the CIA and the military – were charged with sensitive or secret information for the Chinese government.
In recent years, the Ministry of Justice has also become more able to highlight cases in order to underline the threats by Chinese espionage. Washington has accused Chinese hackers of attacking US telecommunications networks in a massive and widespread campaign that enabled the perpetrators to access the conversations of American officials.
The Chinese message in Washington said that it was “not familiar” with the details of the Rogers, but said China “maintains the rule of law”.
“We reject any cuts and attacks on China with so -called” spy risks “,” added the message.
The Chinese government is one of the largest global owners of the US government bonds. Fed interest decisions and signals on future monetary policy movements can also influence the US state bonds and are among the most observed reports on the global financial markets.
The figures for US finance ministries show that China officially held $ 768.6 billion in debt from November, which made it the second largest foreign owner in Japan.
In the indictment it was claimed that the sensitive information from “at least 2018” was shared with alleged Chinese co -vibrators “who worked for the secret service and the security apparatus of China and who were a doctoral student at a (Chinese) university”.
The FED rejected a statement.
Rogers, who speaks only limited Chinese, discussed teaching issues that the meetings in the eyes of the Fed “would make” appear “legitimate”, said encrypted news, which was exchanged with his alleged co -snack, which was cited in the indictment.
Rogers’ travel was covered by his Chinese colleagues. “(D) Don’t worry about the costs of the trip. . . We do not waste any money, but we can bear all the necessary costs.
The business secrets in the heart of the case supposedly contain the assessment of an announcement by the European Central Bank, briefing notes for a member of the Fed board and a document entitled “Pre-Fomc Briefing” Alle from 2019.
In 2020, Rogers lied to the Fed General Inspector when he was asked about sensitive materials, the public prosecutor said.
