Sex, secrets and spies: The history of suspected honey traps
Foreign operatives have used personal relationships to gain access to influential Americans.
TL;DR
- Foreign intelligence operatives use romantic relationships to access political intelligence, corporate secrets, and classified information.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is reportedly under scrutiny following allegations of an affair with a suspected Chinese spy, Alice Huang, though the company denies security breaches.
- Past cases include FBI informant Katrina Leung having an affair with an agent while suspected of passing information to China.
- Maria Butina, a Russian activist, pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent after becoming romantically involved with a Republican operative.
- Former Congressman Eric Swalwell acknowledged sexual encounters with a suspected Chinese operative, Christine Fang, who allegedly gained access through fundraising and relationships.
- Defense contractor Benjamin Pierce Bishop pleaded guilty to disclosing classified information to a Chinese woman with whom he had a romantic relationship.