US Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Selling Military Secrets to China

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Facts

• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday that Army Sergeant Korbein Schultz has pleaded guilty to charges of selling sensitive military information to China.^[1]
• An intelligence analyst in the Army, Schultz allegedly sold dozens of documents to China, receiving at least 14 payments totaling $42K. The 24-year-old was charged with six counts for conspiring to obtain and disclose military defense information and bribery of a public official.^[2]
• He was first indicted by a federal grand jury in March, and also charged with exporting and conspiracy to export technical defense data without a license. Plea documents reveal that Schultz knowingly conspired with an individual living in Hong Kong to send US military secrets.^[3]
• Schultz reportedly suspected that the individual had ties to the Chinese government yet still transmitted sensitive, but unclassified, materials related to missile defenses and mobile artillery systems. He also sent documents discussing Army lessons from the Ukraine-Russia war that could be applied to a Taiwanese defense.^[3]
• He previously pleaded not guilty but requested to change his plea last month. His conspiracy reportedly started in June 2022, resulting in his March arrest at Fort Campbell. He will be sentenced on Jan. 23.^[4]

Sources: ^[1]BBC News, ^[2]CBS, ^[3]United States Department of Justice and ^[4]Stars and Stripes.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Oversight. The Chinese Communist Party is engaging in political warfare against the US by trying to infiltrate and bribe public officials. From military personnel to government employees, China has created a formidable campaign to illegally obtain secret information from the US. With tentacles reaching all parts of American security and government, China is arguably the US’ most dangerous foe, and America must remain vigilant against Chinese infiltration at all times.
• Anti-West narrative, as provided by South China Morning Post. The US believes that it is the only country in the world that can engage in covert operations against its adversaries with impunity. The US has been caught countless times trying to infiltrate Chinese military and security operations, and it is the world’s leader in espionage. The US has no moral grounds to call out any other country for simply trying to get on a level playing field with the almighty American Empire.