Ex-congressional IT staffer reaches plea deal that debunks conspiracy theories about illegal informa
Source: Washington Post
Ex-congressional IT staffer reaches plea deal that debunks conspiracy theories about illegal information access
By Shawn Boburg and Spencer S. Hsu July 3 at 10:54 AM Email the author
shawn.boburg@washpost.com; spencer.hsu@washpost.com
Federal prosecutors concluded an 18-month investigation into a former congressional technology staffer on Tuesday by publicly debunking allegations -- promoted by conservative media and President Trump -- suggesting he was a Pakistani operative who stole government secrets with cover from House Democrats.
As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Imran Awan pleaded guilty to a relatively minor offense unrelated to his work on Capitol Hill: making a false statement on a bank loan application. U.S. prosecutors said they would not recommend jail time. ... But the agreement included an unusual passage that described the scope of the investigation and cleared Awan of a litany of conspiracy theories promulgated on Internet blogs, picked up by right-leaning news sites, and fanned by President Trump on Twitter.
{Trump urges punishment for former House IT worker}
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-urges-punishment-for-former-house-it-worker/2018/06/07/2274c5e8-6a61-11e8-9e38-24e693b38637_story.html
"The Government has uncovered no evidence that your client violated federal law with respect to the House computer systems," including stealing equipment or illegally accessing or transferring information, prosecutors wrote in the plea agreement dated and signed Tuesday.
....
In his first public statements since the investigation began, Awan told The Washington Post in an interview before Tuesday’s hearing that he questions whether the case would have been pursued if he did not have a Pakistani name. He said he came to the United States as a teenager, put himself through college, became a U.S. citizen, and built a career on Capitol Hill — what he portrayed as the fulfillment of a dream. ... “This has cost me my reputation, my livelihood, my family,” he said. “I can’t believe this.” ... He added, “The president used me to advance his political agenda.”
Shawn Boburg is a reporter for The Washington Post's investigative unit. He was previously an accountability reporter for the Metro section. He joined The Post in 2015. Follow https://twitter.com/ShawnBoburg
Spencer S. Hsu is an investigative reporter, two-time Pulitzer finalist and national Emmy Award nominee. Hsu has covered homeland security, immigration, Virginia politics and Congress. Follow https://twitter.com/hsu_spencer
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/congressional-it-staffer-reaches-plea-deal-that-debunks-conspiracy-theories-about-illegal-information-access/2018/07/03/3f22786a-7e30-11e8-b0ef-fffcabeff946_story.html
Hat tip:
David Fahrenthold Retweeted
https://twitter.com/fahrenthold
= new reply since forum marked as read
“Our Justice Department must not let Awan & Debbie Wasserman Schultz off the hook. The Democrat I.T. scandal is a key to much of the corruption we see today. They want to make a ‘plea deal’ to hide what is on their Server. Where is Server? Really bad!”
Well, he was SO right about the "Central Park 5"* - how could he miss this one? 
*https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article168539182.html
