You don't see wall to wall coverage of stories like this one anymore
WASHINGTON – A scientist credited with helping discover evidence of water on the moon was arrested Monday on charges of attempting to pass along classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer
Many say media coverage in this country is pretty crappy or nonsense. A nutcase and attention seeking father fooled the entire media for many hours partly because he knew they will fall for it. They did. No one questions anything as long as people tune in. No more investigative reporting. Once in a while when stories like this one hit the waves reminds everyone about investigative journalism. I miss those times.
Apparently this guy seems pretty plugged-in with all the clearance and all.
Stewart David Nozette, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., was charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information, the Justice Department said.
Nozette was arrested by FBI agents and is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Washington on Tuesday. Law enforcement officials said Nozette did not immediately have a lawyer.
Nozette worked in varying jobs for the Energy Department, NASA and — in 1989 and 1990 — the National Space Council in the president's office. He developed the Clementine bi-static radar experiment that is credited with discovering water on the south pole of the moon. He also worked at the Energy Department's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he designed highly advanced technology, from approximately 1990 to 1999.
I just wonder what he was thinking.
An affidavit suggests why FBI agents posed as agents of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to conduct the sting operation.
From 1998 to 2008, the complaint alleges, Nozette was a technical adviser for a consultant company that was wholly owned by the Israeli government. Nozette was paid about $225,000 over that period, the court papers say.
Then, in January of this year, Nozette allegedly traveled to another foreign country with two computer thumb drives and apparently did not return with them. Prosecutors also quote an unnamed colleague of Nozette who said the scientist said that if the U.S. government ever tried to put him in jail for an unrelated criminal offense, he would go to Israel or another foreign country and "tell them everything" he knows.
The complaint does not allege that the government of Israel or anyone acting on its behalf violated U.S. law. In Jerusalem, Israeli government officials had no immediate comment.
What puzzled me more is the country he was trying to help and wonder if this is the whole story in all of this. Have at it. I will delete if someone already diaried it.
UPDATE: An earlier diary is showing this guy apparently a Republican. donnor Thanks MickT.