Banks Asks FBI Director For Information Regarding Senate Staffer Who Spied For China

Last updated on Tuesday, August 14, 2018

(FORT WAYNE) - Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) today wrote a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray and asked for information regarding recent news reports that a former Senate staffer who worked for Senator Dianne Feinstein secretly spied for China.

In his letter, Banks writes, "While we know that the FBI approached Senator Feinstein five years ago to inform her of this threat, right now there are more questions than answers regarding this case. The American people have a right to know whether classified American intelligence has been compromised."

August 14, 2018

Director Christopher Wray

Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington D.C. 20535-0001

Dear Director Wray,

The American people expect their elected representatives to protect them from foreign threats. Critical to this effort is protecting sensitive intelligence information from foreign adversaries. It is imperative that those with access to this information exercise extreme diligence in guarding material that, if exposed, would present a danger to the national security of the United States.

It has recently come to light that U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the former chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, employed a staff member who was using his position to secretly report information to the Ministry of State Security in China. Given the type of information Senator Feinstein had access to and China's position as a top foreign adversary of the United States, this revelation is alarming.

While we know that the FBI approached Senator Feinstein five years ago to inform her of this threat, right now there are more questions than answers regarding this case. The American people have a right to know whether classified American intelligence has been compromised. Given the gravity of this situation, I ask that you provide my office (in a classified briefing if necessary) with the relevant details surrounding this case, including:

The name of the staffer in question;
The nature of the information that was shared with the Ministry of State Security;
How long the staffer was under surveillance;
Whether any other former employees of Senator Feinstein were under surveillance; and
Any other information relevant to the case.

Thank you for the work you do to preserve our nation's system of justice.

Sincerely,
JIM BANKS
Member of Congress

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