On February 18, FBI agent and State Department official Robert Philip Hanssen is arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of the KGB and Russia.
Hanssen pleads guilty to the charges. Evidence against him includes multiple letters between him and his Russian handlers, dating back to 1985.
FBI Director Louis Freeh releases a statement (quoted below). Freeh later goes on to work for Russian criminals, even working alongside the Russian agent that met with Team Trump at the infamous “Trump Tower meeting” in 2016.
A betrayal of trust by an FBI Agent, who is not only sworn to enforce the law but specifically to help protect our nation’s security, is particularly abhorrent. This kind of criminal conduct represents the most traitorous action imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. It also strikes at the heart of everything the FBI represents — the commitment of over 28,000 honest and dedicated men and women in the FBI who work diligently to earn the trust and confidence of the American people every day.
These kinds of cases are the most difficult, sensitive and sophisticated imaginable. I am immensely proud of the men and women of the FBI who conducted this investigation. Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best, reflecting dedication to both principle and mission. It is not an easy assignment to investigate a colleague, but they did so unhesitatingly, quietly and securely.
