The campaign donations of a Montaperto booster

One of the most public of Chinese spy Ronald Montaperto's supporters is Lonnie Henley, a senior military intelligence officer with a distinguished resume, but who is noted for his softness toward Beijing and its People's Liberation Army.

For a public servant, Henley certainly has a lot of cash to give away to his favorite political candidates!

We received the following over-the-transom information about Henley's political campaign contributions.

Henley gave away $10,900 in political contributions in 2008, according to Campaignmoney.com. He listed various descriptions about his employer/occupation, alternately as "US government/analyst," "US government/civil servant," "Henley Hanks/Owner," and "Centra Technology, Inc./analyst."

Here's his disclosure information for the 2008 election cycle:

December 30, 2007: Henley gave $2,300 to Hillary Clinton for President in the primary against Obama.
March 18: Henley gave $250 to Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
March 24: Henley gave $500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
March 31: Henley gave $1,000 to Doug Denneny for Congress (Democrat, 11th district, Virginia).
April 8: Henley gave $250 to ActBlue (a "progressive" political action committee).
April 8: Henley gave $250 to Friends of Mark Warner (Democrat for US Senate from Virginia).
May 8: Henley gave gave $1,000 to Obama for America.
May 20: Henley gave $1,000 to Doug Denneny for Congress.
May 21: Henley gave gave $1,300 to Obama for America.
August 28: Henley gave $250 to Madia for US Congress (Democrat Farm Labor, Minnesota).
August 28: Henley gave another $250 to Madia for US Congress.
September 20: Henley gave $500 to Madia for US Congress.
September 20: Henley gave $1,000 to Obama for America.
September 24: Henley gave $1,300 to Obama for America.

That's a lot of money for a civil servant! Good thing he's teaching at Georgetown.

Robert G. Sutter urges China hands not to cooperate with FBI

"A former high-ranking CIA official refused FBI appeals for help in tracking Chinese spies and urged others via e-mail not to cooperate because of the recent prosecution of former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Ron Montaperto," writes Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz.

"Robert G. Sutter, a former national intelligence officer for East Asia and holder of a security clearance, told a mailing list of current and former government officials that a 2003 FBI "sting" operation against Montaperto, who was convicted in June of mishandling classified documents, raised fears that he and other officials could be damaged for discussing their contacts with Chinese officials."

Montaperto out of prison

Convicted Chinese spy Ronald Montaperto is out of prison today, February 25, after serving only three months for passing classified information to communist intelligence officers.

Federal Judge Gerald Bruce Lee called the allegations against Montaperto, a top DIA China specialist, "very serious" yet handed down the light sentence based on letters he received from Montaperto's supporters in the government and intelligence community.

As part of a plea arrangement, Bill Gertz reports in the Washington Times, Montaperto is forbidden to make contact with Chinese intelligence officers.

Henley reprimanded for aiding Chinese spy defense - then promoted

For those wondering whether the US really reformed its intelligence leadership after 9/11, look no further than the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) - the very office created to fix the nation's spy agencies.

DIA analyst Lonnie Henley wrote a letter on behalf of his friend Ronald Montaperto to the federal judge who tried the Montaperto spy case - a letter that the judge says helped influence him to give the admitted helper of Chinese intelligence a nearly insignificant three-month sentence.

After Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz made the letter public, the DNI reprimanded Henley - then promoted him to become Acting National Intelligence Officer for East Asia.

The spy speaks out

Getting ready to start his prison sentence on a reduced espionage-related conviction, Ronald Montaperto sends out an email message to his friends in the sinapologist community. Here it is, exactly as sent out:

All,

I apologize for this one size fits all message, but what I have to say is somewhat difficult and I don't think I can get ot out more than once.

To bring you up to date and to correct what seems to be a measure of confusion, on 21 June I pled guilty to one count of mishandling of governemnt documents related to the national defense. On 8 September I was sentenced to a three month period of incarceration at FCI Fort Dix, New Jersey to be followed by three months of home confinement. The incarceration begins on 26 October.

The past three years have been a terrible trial for Bette and I, but we have managed to come through it all and kept our sense of humor, hope, and optimism. We do not doubt that the Lord will help us to meet our needs and that all will be well eventually.

At this point, I don't know what place China and Asian security issues will have in my future. But I do have time to think abou it.

In the meantime, I want you all to know that I feel I have had a wonderful career. Not everyone can say he has spent a lifetime studying a subject he loves and that he has done so with with such wonderful colleagues. You constantly challenged me and made me stretch. You set the highest standards of collegiality and integrity. And, when it mattered most, you were always respectful. Thank you all and no matter what the place of China and Asia in my future life, I hope we will be able to remain in touch.

With warm wishes,

Ron

Adm. McVadon, Lonnie Henley defended Montaperto to the end

An alarming number of intelligence figures have defended Ronald Montaperto, even after his conviction. The federal judge who sentenced the Chinese spy to a mere three months in prison - citing the influence of letters from senior intelligence officials and others.

Among them: Lonnie Henley, the current Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia who works for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Negroponte.

Another: RADM Eric McVadon, USN (Ret.), pictured, currently a China consultant to the CIA and Defense Department. Known as "Eric the Red," McVadon said in the Washington Times that he would not second-guess the federal case against Montaperto, but could only "recoil at characterizations of him in the press as a spy."

Henley calls Montaperto 'a mentor and role model'

DNI John Negroponte's deputy national intelligence officer for East Asia calls convicted Chinese spy Ronald Montaperto "a mentor and role model."

The officer, Lonnie Henley, appealed to a federal judge to go easy on Montaperto, whom Henley characterized in a sentencing memorandum as "conscientious, concerned and above all dedicated to the best interests of the United States."

"I learned from him the importance of careful objective intelligence analysis, grounded in solid evidence and carefully free of personal opinion," said Henley, in comments reported by the Washington Times' Bill Gertz.

Henley added that Montaperto "was a mentor and role model, admired by all who worked with him as a professional intelligence analyst."

House intelligence chief to probe support for Montaperto

The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence says he's disturbed by the scope of support in the intelligence community for convicted Chinese spy Ronald Montaperto, and that he plans to investigate.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra tells the Washington Times, "You would think that the intel community would set the standard for holding people accountable for mishandling and passing of classified information to our enemies."

Years of espionage cost only 90 days in prison

Years of passing secrets to the military intelligence service of the People's Republic of China will cost Ronald Montaperto only 90 days in prison - the lightest of spankings for crimes that federal guidelines say are worth 20 times the punishment.

"Federal Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said that despite the 'very serious charge' against Ronald Montaperto, he was swayed to reduce the sentence based on letters of support from current and former intelligence and military officials," Bill Gertz reports in the Washington Times.

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) veteran Montaperto, age 67, admitted guilt in June to "unlawful retention of classified documents," but claimed he illegally had the secrets in a bid to spy on China for the United States.

"I never meant to hurt my country in any way," Montaperto said at his hearing at US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Federal sentencing guidelines allow between four and five years in prison for Montaperto's crimes, though prosecutors sought a sentence of only two years. Judge Lee sentenced the spy to only three months in prison, plus three months of home detention and five years' probation, according to Gertz.

Sting operation fooled Montaperto into admitting his crimes

Ronald Montaperto "did not reveal or admit the passing of secrets until fooled into making admissions in a 2003 sting operation while he worked at the US Pacific Command think tank in Hawaii," Gertz reports.

That revelation from federal investigators clashes with Montaperto's defense that he cooperated voluntarily.

"US intelligence officials have said Montaperto was first investigated in the late 1980s after a Chinese defector said Beijing considered him one of their 'dear friends,' or informal supporters of China."

Defense argument: Montaperto passed secrets to PRC 'to help US-China relations'

Signs of a sick mind: Montaperto says he passed US secrets to Chinese military intelligence in order to prove US-PRC relations.

Montaperto, according to Gertz, "was not charged for passing secret and top-secret information to two Chinese military intelligence officers but the activities were outlined in court papers.

"Montaperto, according to the sentencing memorandum written by his lawyers, passed the classified data to China in order to help U.S.-China relations, which contradicts Mr. Henley's description of him as an unbiased analyst.

"The memorandum said Montaperto did not pass secrets to China out of 'ideological alignment or sympathy with the People's Republic of China.' Instead, he gave the classified data because he thought 'the US and the PRC needed to learn to get along and better understand each other, a belief that was and is consistent with United States foreign policy,' it said."

Montaperto met 60 times with two Chinese intelligence officers

"Neil Hammerstrom, the assistant U.S. attorney, told the court that Montaperto met 60 times with two Chinese military intelligence officers and provided both secret and top secret information during the meetings," Gertz reports in his September 9 story.

"Mr. Hammerstrom asked for at least a two-year sentence, arguing a tough prison term was needed because Montaperto 'repeatedly placed in jeopardy sensitive sources and methods pertaining to our national security.'"

Lonnie Henley being probed for defending Montaperto

Lonnie Henley, the senior intelligence official responsible for East Asia, is now under investigation for defending Chinese spy Ronald Montaperto and for criticizing the FBI concerning the case.

"Because Mr. Henley works directly for Mr. Negroponte as part of the National Intelligence Council, and FBI counterintelligence also is nominally part of the DNI oversight, US government officials say the Henley e-mail could be viewed as an officially sanctioned critique of the FBI and thus an appropriate subject for internal review and possible disciplinary action," Bill Gertz reports in the Washington Times.

The DNI ombudsman for analysis, Nancy Tucker, probably will have to recuse herself from the case because she once dated the spy.

Negroponte aide defends Chinese spy, blasts FBI

A top intelligence aide to Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte is "leading an effort within the Bush administration to defend" a Chinese spy.

Lonnie Henley, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia under Negroponte, is a friend of former DIA China expert Ronald Montaperto who admitted to espionage-related charges involving betraying the United States to China.

According to Bill Gertz of the Washington Times, Henley "has written e-mails and had telephone conversations with intelligence and policy officials criticizing the FBI investigation and seeking to downplay the damage caused by Montaperto's 22 years of contacts with two Chinese military intelligence officers."

I corroborated Gertz's report independently.

"As deputy national intelligence officer for East Asia under Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John D. Negroponte, Mr. Henley is one of the most senior U.S. intelligence analysts," Gertz writes.

"His defense of Montaperto and criticism of the FBI is unusual and has raised concerns among US counterintelligence officials that there are others in the intelligence community who may have improperly shared classified information with China."

Sinapologists protect Montaperto to preserve their own prestige and influence

"The effort by numerous pro-China intelligence analysts is aimed at protecting their prestige and influence, and at shielding others in government who share Montaperto's benign views of China and the Chinese military," Bill Gertz reports in the Washington Times, citing US officials.

"The result has been near-silence from the Bush administration and Congress on a major Chinese spy case, while at the same time President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other senior officials publicly criticized recent press disclosures of a classified anti-terrorism financial-tracking program."

Montaperto had immense influence on the shaping of US government perceptions about Beijing.

"Without a doubt, Ron Montaperto, through his career in the intelligence community and then his even more important role in helping to form the views of a generation of current American military leaders, and then his writing and activism, has played a major role in forming the US government perceptions that were translated into policy," China security expert Rick Fisher tells the Times.