A federal jury finds a Kansas scholar guilty of fraud and hiding ties to China

A federal jury finds a Kansas scholar guilty of fraud and hiding ties to China

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to attorney Peter Zeidenberg about his client, Feng "Franklin" Tao of the University of Kansas, who was convicted of fraud in the Trump-era "China Initiative" probe.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Leila Fadel.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Good morning. A federal jury in Kansas City found a chemistry professor guilty of fraud and of making false statements. Prosecutors² said Franklin Tao concealed³ work with a Chinese university and an affiliation⁴ with a Chinese government-run talent program. All of that was supposedly part of a scheme to defraud⁵ the University of Kansas and the government. And the jury agreed. He was charged under a Trump-era Department of Justice program called the China Initiative, which has since ended. Peter Zeidenberg is Mr. Tao's lead attorney, and he joins us now. Good morning.

PETER ZEIDENBERG: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: What do you make of the verdict against your client?

ZEIDENBERG: Well, we're very disappointed with the verdict, but we think that the evidence at the trial certainly and even the theory of the case doesn't support the charges, and we're hopeful he'll ultimately be vindicated⁶.

INSKEEP: You intend to appeal then, I suppose.

ZEIDENBERG: Well, first, we start with the district court judge, who expressed her own skepticism about the charges. And we've - you know, no sentencing date has yet been set.

INSKEEP: Oh, do you mean to say that you would ask the district court judge to set aside this verdict by the jury?

ZEIDENBERG: Yes, exactly. Yes.

INSKEEP: And you can do that before sentencing or request a light sentence, I suppose.

ZEIDENBERG: Well, it would be before sentencing, yes.

INSKEEP: Now, let's ask the fundamental question here because he's accused of these specific crimes. But the general idea was that he was working too closely with the Chinese government while working in an American university, that he was somehow a Chinese spy. I'll just ask it directly - was your client a Chinese spy?

ZEIDENBERG: No. And in fact, that isn't part of the allegation. And that's what's so frustrating⁷ about it, that people make that confusing mistake. The case was, in fact, investigated as if he was an espionage⁸ case. He was falsely accused by someone who was extorting⁹ him for $300,000. And when she didn't get the money, she said, if you don't, I'll accuse you of being a spy. He was investigated, you know, for some kind of length. There was absolutely no allegation of that. He simply didn't fill out a conflict of interest form correctly and didn't update grant paperwork. That is the case. There is no hint, reference, has nothing to do with espionage. And yet, you know, people make this mistake over and over. And it's really - you know, you can imagine how infuriating it is and frustrating for someone like professor Tao, who's devoted¹⁰ his life to producing excellent science for, you know, these granting agencies.

And what's also infuriating is, you know, there's charge with grant fraud. And yet the two - the agencies involved, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy and KU, in fact, all said he did outstanding work for them and that they were completely satisfied with the work. So the idea that he's involved in grant fraud - and yet the victim agencies said he's doing exactly what we asked him to do. And, in fact, at the end of the year, that - one year after Franklin...

INSKEEP: Right.

ZEIDENBERG: ...Was allegedly in China, he was given an award in Kansas as one of the four best professors on campus.

INSKEEP: Any message to the Biden administration, which has ended this China Initiative but proceeded with this prosecution¹¹? You've got about 10 seconds here.

ZEIDENBERG: I'd say that the demise¹² of the China Initiative are greatly exaggerated from where I sit.

INSKEEP: You mean that they're still going after people.

ZEIDENBERG: Yes.

INSKEEP: Peter Zeidenberg is lead attorney for Franklin Tao. Thank you so much.

ZEIDENBERG: Sure thing.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

3 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

4 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

5 defraud   

vt.欺骗，欺诈

参考例句：

• He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
• He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。

6 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

9 extorting   

v.敲诈( extort的现在分词 )；曲解

参考例句：

• Corrupt government officials were extorting money from him. 腐败的政府官员向他敲诈钱财。 来自辞典例句
• He's been charged with extorting protection money from the shopkeepers. 他被指控对店主敲诈勒索保护费。 来自互联网

10 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

11 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

12 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。