Nate Raymond

BOSTON (Reuters). – A source familiar with the matter revealed Friday that U.S. Justice Department has recommended the dropping of charges against a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, who is accused of concealing connections to China in order to obtain federal grant money.

Federal prosecutors have made the decision to sue Gang Chen (a Chinese-born nanotechnologist and mechanical engineer) for dismissal. It is yet another setback in the fight against Chinese influence within U.S. scientific research.

He was charged with failing to report, among others, his service as an “overseas specialist” for the Chinese government and sitting on the advisory panel of Shenzhen’s Southern University of Science and Technology, when he applied for a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

Brian Kelly from Nixon Peabody, Chen’s lawyer, stated that “but, it turns out, there was nothing important omitted in his application” and that many of the allegations made by the government were just wrong.

Based on new information in Boston, Boston prosecutors have recommended that they drop the case. The person stated, however, that no final decision has been made by the Justice Department.

Wyn Hornbuckle spoke for the Justice Department, but did not comment on Chen’s case. However, Wyn Hornbuckle said that they were reviewing their approach to dealing with China’s threats.

The Wall Street Journal reported first the news.

Chen was indicted last year under the “China Initiative” department, launched by former President Donald Trump to combat suspected Chinese research and economic espionage.

University researchers were also targeted. A Harvard professor, Charles Lieber, last month was convicted https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/harvard-professor-lied-about-china-ties-us-jury-told-trial-nears-end-2021-12-21 of lying about his ties to a China-run recruitment program. He will appeal.

Critics say https://www.reuters.com/world/us/stanford-professors-urge-us-end-program-looking-chinese-spies-academia-2021-09-13 the initiative chilled academic research and targeted Chinese researchers through racial profiling. Other cases, however, have failed despite Harvard’s win.

Last year, a Tennessee judge exonerated a professor. Prosecutors dropped six charges against him.