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."
