News


DATE=6/3/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233292
TITLE=U-S SPY PLEA (L ONLY)
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  ONE OF THREE FORMER STUDENT RADICALS CHARGED WITH SPYING 
FOR THE FORMER EAST GERMANY PLEADED GUILTY WEDNESDAY TO 
CONSPIRING TO COMMIT ESPIONAGE AND IS NOW EXPECTED TO COOPERATE 
WITH PROSECUTORS. V-O-A NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS 
MORE ON A CASE WHICH HAS SOME DISTINCT ECHOES OF THE COLD WAR.

TEXT:  PLEADING GUILTY TO SPY CHARGES IS FORMER U-S ARMY LEGAL 
ASSISTANT (PARALEGAL) JAMES MICHAEL CLARK. CLARK ADMITTED 
CONSPIRING WITH TWO FRIENDS TO PROVIDE U-S INTELLIGENCE SECRETS 
TO OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE FORMER EAST GERMANY AND THE 
FORMER SOVIET UNION.

CLARK FACES A SENTENCE OF ANYWHERE FROM 12 YEARS TO LIFE IN 
PRISON BUT COULD BE GIVEN LESS JAIL TIME DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH HE
COOPERATES WITH PROSECUTORS.

CLARK ENTERED HIS GUILTY PLEA AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT TO TESTIFY 
ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF HIS ALLEGED CO-CONSPIRATORS -- FORMER 
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT LAWYER THERESA SQUILLACOTE AND HER HUSBAND, 
LABOR UNION REPRESENTATIVE KURT STAND.  BOTH OF THEM HAVE PLEADED
NOT  GUILTY TO THE CHARGES AND THEIR LAWYERS SAY THE GOVERNMENT 
IMPROPERLY OBTAINED EVIDENCE THROUGH THE USE OF SECRET ELECTRONIC
SURVEILLANCE AND ILLEGAL SEARCHES OF THEIR HOME.

PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT ALL THREE MET WHILE STUDENTS AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN IN THE EARLY 1970'S AND WERE LATER 
RECRUITED AS SPIES BY EAST GERMAN INTELLIGENCE. A GRAND JURY 
INDICTMENT SAID CLARK TURNED OVER INTELLIGENCE MATERIAL TO THE 
EAST GERMANS BETWEEN 1979 AND 1984.

THE F-B-I WAS TIPPED OFF TO THEIR ALLEGED ACTIVITIES WHEN THEIR 
NAMES APPEARED IN FILES OF THE EAST GERMAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE 
WHICH WERE OPENED AFTER THE COLD WAR ENDED. ALL THREE WERE 
ARRESTED LAST OCTOBER AFTER FEDERAL AGENTS POSING AS SOUTH 
AFRICAN OFFICIALS CONTACTED THERESA SQUILLACOTE AND REQUESTED 
THAT SHE SPY ON THEIR BEHALF.

BOTH MS. SQUILLACOTE AND HER HUSBAND, KURT STAND, FACE CHARGES OF
CONSPIRING TO COMMIT ESPIONAGE. THEIR ATTORNEYS SAY THEY ARE 
MERELY COMMITTED MARXISTS WHO ARE BEING PROSECUTED FOR ALLEGIANCE
TO AN IDEOLOGY. (SIGNED)

NEB/JBM/KL  

03-Jun-98 2:03 PM EDT (1803 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.