Scientist demands US apology over spy case
Department accused of ‘gross injustice’ and racial profiling
A Chinese-American hydrologist who won her case against the US Department of Commerce called for an “apology not appeal” in Washington on Wednesday.
Wrongfully arrested on spying charges and fired, Sherry Chen was the victim of a “gross injustice”, according to a decision issued by a judge on the Merit Systems Protection Board last month.
“The judge totally cleared my name and provided stunning detailed point-by-point rejections of the agency’s allegation against me,” Chen said.
The judge ordered the Department of Commerce to restore Sherry to her job at the National Weather Service.
Despite the detailed findings in the 135-page decision, the department has announced its intention to appeal.
“What the DoC should do now is apologize not appeal,” said Congressman Ted Lieu.
A letter signed by 30 members of Congress has been sent to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, requesting an independent investigation.
Chen, an award-winning hydrologist for the DoC’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office in Wilmington, Ohio, was accused of spying for China and arrested by the FBI in 2014.
‘Extremely detrimental’
Just a week before Chen was to go to trial, the charges were dropped with little explanation.
Months after the case fell apart, Chen was fired, citing “conduct demonstrating untrustworthiness” and “misrepresentation”. The judge who ruled in her favor wrote that officials from the department were intent on firing Chen regardless of what facts arose.
“I hope the DoC can learn a lesson from my case, take responsibility for their actions, correct the wrongs that have been done, ... and make sure that such gross injustice that happened to me will never happen again to any other innocent employees,” said Chen.
“It is also a concerning fact that more Chinese-Americans have been wrongfully targeted in recent years and more are in fear of being wrongfully targeted,” she added. “This situation is extremely detrimental not only to our national security but also to our public trust that our government is able and willing to do the right thing.”
In February, FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed that Chinese “especially in the academic setting, whether it’s professors, scientists, students” are “nontraditional collectors” of intelligence.
“This is not right. It is racial profiling. It is counter to America’s ideal that all are created equal,” said Xi Xiaoxing, a Chinese-born professor of physics at Temple University, who was charged by the US government with spying in 2015 and cleared.
“One case could be considered a mistake,” said Lieu. “When you have multiple (cases), then it is a pattern of discrimination.”
“We will continue to pursue this until there’s true justice for Sherry Chen. We are doing this because we will not tolerate Chinese-Americans or AsianAmericans being treated as second-class citizens,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu.