Who Is Candace Claiborne? State Department Employee Arrested Over Alleged Contact With Chinese Agents

Candace Claiborne, a 60-year-old employee of the State Department, was arrested Tuesday and charged with concealing extensive contacts with foreign agents, the Justice Department said in a press release. She is accused of failing to report contacts with Chinese foreign intelligence agents from whom she amassed thousands of dollars worth of gifts and other personal benefits.

“Claiborne used her position and her access to sensitive diplomatic data for personal profit. Pursuing those who imperil our national security for personal gain will remain a key priority of the National Security Division,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord said in a statement.

Claiborne of Washington, D.C., had been with the department for nearly two decades. She started her work with the State Department in 1999 as an office management specialist. During her yearslong tenure, she has worked in several countries and held a number of positions, including in embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Khartoum in Sudan, Beijing and Shanghai in China.

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She maintains a “Top Secret security clearance” as a condition of her employment, which means that she is also expected to report any contacts with those suspected of being affiliated with a foreign intelligence agency.

“As a State Department employee with a Top Secret clearance, she received training and briefing about the need for caution and transparency. This case demonstrates that U.S. government employees will be held accountable for failing to honor the trust placed in them when they take on such sensitive assignments,” Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia said in the Justice Department release.

Over five years, Claiborne received gifts and benefits that included iPhone, laptop, cash, Chinese New Year’s gifts, international travel and vacation, tuition at a fashion school in China, a fully furnished apartment and a monthly stipend, the affidavit in support of the complaint and arrest warrant claimed. It added that some gifts were handed out to her directly while she received some through a co-conspirator, who was not identified in the complaint.

In one instance, one of the two Chinese agents Claiborne allegedly had contact with asked her to reveal internal U.S. government analysis on a U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, federal prosecutors said. For this task, $2,480 was allegedly wired to her bank account.

"When a public servant is suspected of potential misconduct or federal crimes that violate the public trust, we vigorously investigate such claims," Acting State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. "The Department of State is firmly committed to investigating and working with the Department of Justice and our other law enforcement partners to investigate any allegations of criminal activity and bring those who commit crimes to justice."

At her court appearance Wednesday, Claiborne pleaded not guilty. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on April 18.

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The charges for obstructing an official proceeding and making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation carries a maximum penalty of 20 and 5 years, respectively. The investigation into the matter is being led by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.