Donald Keyser
Encyclopedia
Donald W. Keyser retired from the U.S. Department of State in September 2004 after a 32-year career. He had been a member of the Senior Foreign Service since 1990, and held Washington-based ambassadorial-level assignments 1998-2004. Throughout his career he focused on U.S. policy toward East Asia, particularly China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
Keyser attended the University of Maryland
, the Stanford Inter-University Center in Taiwan
, George Washington University
, and the National War College
. He joined the State Department in 1972, and has held a number of senior posts relating to East Asia
n affairs. He is fluent in Chinese
.
In 2005, he plea
ded guilty to unauthorized possession of secret documents, and to lying
to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
regarding his sexual relationship with a Taiwan
ese intelligence officer
, Isabelle Cheng
. He denied, however, passing any confidential information to Cheng, and entered into a plea bargain
arrangement — in exchange for prosecutors dropping espionage
charges, he would co-operate fully in their investigations. In 2006, prosecutors sought to void the plea bargain, claiming that Keyser had not fulfilled his part of the deal, but they later reversed this position, saying that Keyser had increased his level of co-operation. In January 2007, Keyser was sentenced for the original charges of possessing secret documents and lying to investigators — he will serve one year and one day in jail, and be fined $25,000.
Keyser attended the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, the Stanford Inter-University Center in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, and the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
. He joined the State Department in 1972, and has held a number of senior posts relating to East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n affairs. He is fluent in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
In 2005, he plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
ded guilty to unauthorized possession of secret documents, and to lying
Lie
For other uses, see Lie A lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others....
to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
regarding his sexual relationship with a Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese intelligence officer
Intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
, Isabelle Cheng
Isabelle Cheng
Isabelle Cheng , also known as Cheng Nian-Tzu, is an intelligence agent for the National Security Bureau of Taiwan....
. He denied, however, passing any confidential information to Cheng, and entered into a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
arrangement — in exchange for prosecutors dropping espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
charges, he would co-operate fully in their investigations. In 2006, prosecutors sought to void the plea bargain, claiming that Keyser had not fulfilled his part of the deal, but they later reversed this position, saying that Keyser had increased his level of co-operation. In January 2007, Keyser was sentenced for the original charges of possessing secret documents and lying to investigators — he will serve one year and one day in jail, and be fined $25,000.
External links
- Donald Keyser Case (CI Centre)
- A Novel-Like Tale Of Cloak, Dagger Unfolds in Court (New York Sun)
- Revelations of Spy Links Set Taiwan Abuzz (Washington Post)
- E-mails detail ex-diplomat's ties to Taiwanese spy (Washington Times)
- Alleging Lack of Cooperation, Prosecutors Seek to Void Plea in Classified-Document Case (Washington Post)
- U.S. will not pursue spy charges against Keyser (China Post)
- Jail Sentence For Diplomat In Spy Case (New York Sun)