Former SENIOR Government Official SPIED For China

A former senior advisor to the Federal Reserve has been charged with economic espionage, accused of sharing sensitive U.S. trade secrets with China over a period of seven years.

At a Glance

  • John Harold Rogers, 63, was arrested for allegedly conspiring with Chinese officials to steal trade secrets from the Federal Reserve
  • Rogers is accused of providing economic data sets and briefing books to Chinese intelligence officers posing as graduate students
  • The alleged espionage spanned from 2018 to early 2023, with Rogers receiving approximately $450,000 in 2023 for his role as a part-time professor at a Chinese university
  • Rogers is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage and making false statements
  • The case highlights growing concerns about China’s efforts to obtain sensitive U.S. economic information

Former Federal Reserve Advisor Indicted on Espionage Charges

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted John Harold Rogers, a former Senior Advisor for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, on charges of economic espionage. Rogers is accused of collaborating with Chinese officials to steal trade secrets from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors and Open Market Committee, potentially compromising sensitive economic information vital to national security.

According to the indictment, Rogers allegedly provided proprietary economic data sets and briefing books intended for Fed Board governors to Chinese intelligence and security officers. These officers were reportedly posing as graduate students at a Chinese university, creating a cover for the exchange of sensitive information.

The Justice Department claims that Rogers employed various methods to transfer sensitive information to his Chinese co-conspirators. He allegedly met with them in hotel rooms in China under the guise of teaching classes, where he would share confidential trade-secret information.

“Under the guise of teaching ‘classes,’ Rogers would meet with co-conspirators in hotel rooms in China where he would convey sensitive, trade-secret information,” the indictment reads.

Additionally, Rogers is accused of transferring information to his personal email or printing it before traveling to China for meetings. This breach of protocol potentially allowed sensitive economic data to fall into the hands of foreign adversaries.

If this public official can’t be trusted, how many more are out there doing the same thing?

Scope and Duration of Alleged Espionage

The indictment reveals that Rogers’ involvement with Chinese officials allegedly spanned about seven years, from 2018 to early 2023. During this time, he reportedly solicited trade-secret information, including data on tariffs against China, exploiting his position at the Federal Reserve to access and distribute this sensitive information.

“As alleged, the defendant violated the trust placed in him by the Federal Reserve Bank by putting U.S. trade secrets in the hands of his PRC co-conspirators, knowing full well that such information would benefit the PRC Government and PRC instrumentalities,” Devin DeBacker, the Head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, said.

In 2023 alone, Rogers reportedly received approximately $450,000 for his role as a part-time professor at a Chinese university, raising questions about the nature of his relationship with Chinese institutions and the potential motivations behind his alleged actions.

Rogers appeared in a Washington, D.C. federal courtroom and was detained for three days, with an arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for the following week. He is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage and making false statements, including to the Office of Inspector General, which impacted their investigation.