Rahm Emanuel, Obama, Bill Richardson, Wen Ho Lee ... It Just Keeps Getting Better.
When I recently read a opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle criticizing the selection of former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to be Obama's Secretary of Commerce on the basis of Richardson's handling of the Wen Ho Lee episode I laugh out loud because the Chinese/American author called the encounter the most serious "miscarriage of justice in America's history."
The Richardson/Wen Ho Lee story that actually starts with Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel "latched onto" some shady money to help get Bill Clinton's campaign for President going. The story on the street was Rahm was fronting for an Israelis and for the Chinese in some slimy deals to get trade secrets and illegal technology transfers. The more cynical believed that after the Lewinsky affair (which Rahm orchestrated) Emanuel "left" the White House to continue laundering money through the Chicago Mercantile for Clinton, the Israelis, the Red Chinese and ethnic Chinese Indonesian dope dealers and of all things ... body parts. Yuk!
Either way, other speculate that something went wrong with the alleged "suitcases" of cash being paid to Clinton by the Chinese for nuclear secrets. The Chinese thought it was a straight out "business" deal where they were buying information from the American Government. That's where Wen Ho Lee and Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson come in.
Clinton leaks that Wen Ho Lee was a spy when in reality he was just a delivery boy for illegal technology transfers. Richardson was in the position of being Clinton's/Emanuel's repo man, which is hard to do with "information."
Wen Ho Lee eventually cops a plea to one count of mishandling government secrets but goes on to sue the Government and blackmails the media. Wen Ho Lee gets 1.6 mil; the Chinese get their nuke secrets; Clinton/Emanuel get to keep the suitcases of money; the media doesn't have to drop a dime on the sources of the leaks and Richardson gets to fall on his sword.
Perfect.