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Ex-House Aide Ripped by Trump Is Cleared of Wrongdoing

by VOA News

   U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday debunked allegations promoted by President
   Donald Trump and conservative media that a Pakistani-American who
   worked as a congressional technology aide had stolen government secrets
   and that it had been covered up by Democratic lawmakers in the House of
   Representatives.

   Trump at one point had called Imran Awan a "Pakistani mystery man" and
   last month in a Twitter comment said the Justice Department "must not
   let" him and one of the dozens of Democratic lawmakers he worked for,
   Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, "off the hook."

   Trump, echoing conservative accounts of the Awan case, said, "The
   Democrat I.T. scandal is a key to much of the corruption we see today."

   But the 18-month investigation of Awan and several associates,
   including family members, ended with Awan pleading guilty to a
   relatively minor charge unrelated to his work in Congress, making a
   false statement on a bank loan application. Prosecutors said they would
   recommend no jail time when he is sentenced next month and agreed to
   drop a bank fraud charge against his wife, Hina Alvi.

   As part of Awan's plea deal, prosecutors said in a statement that the
   government had "uncovered no evidence" that Awan "violated federal law
   with respect to the House computer systems," including stealing
   equipment or illegally accessing information.

   Awan's attorney, Christopher Gowen, said his client was neither a spy
   nor part of a spy ring.

   "There has never been any missing server, smashed hard drives,
   blackmailed members of Congress, or breach of classified information,"
   he said. "This was all made up, for purposes of clickbait, Fox News
   stories and political opportunism. And, yes, this repugnant behavior
   went straight to the top. Just weeks ago, the president of the United
   States tweeted again, alleging that Imran was responsible for a missing
   Democratic Party server."

   Awan, 38, came to the U.S. as a teenager, worked his way through
   college, became a U.S. citizen and landed his dream job, working in
   Congress until Schultz fired him as news of the allegations surfaced.

   As the case neared conclusion, Awan told The Washington Post, "This has
   cost me my reputation, my livelihood, my family. I can't believe this.
   The president used me to advance his political agenda."