Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: News and Opinion

In May 2007, The Observer reported evidence that linked Clemson University officials to the cover-up of a theft at an off-campus research lab, and that that theft had the potential to harm national security. What was not reported at the time was that theft at research labs has been a widespread problem across the United States. Consider the following.

In 1999, a Chinese-American scientist who worked for the University of California at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Wen Ho Lee, was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing classified information about U.S. nuclear arsenal for China. Federal prosecutors were ultimately unable to prove all 59 indictment counts, but Lee pleaded guilty to improper handling of restricted data as part of a settlement in a separate government investigation. But while Lee was never found guilty of actually giving classified information to the Chinese government, the suspicions remained.

As a result of the Wen Ho Lee incident and other national security threats that occurred at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2000, the Department of Energy (DOE) placed new standards on lab procedures. One of which, was hiring someone to professionally direct the lab's Office of Security Inquires (OSI).

The goal of the DOE in setting these new mandates was the prevention of similar incidents in the future. Furthermore, if the new standards were not met, the University of California had the potential to lose millions of dollars and even their contract with DOE.

During a congressional hearing, Rep. James Greenwood (PA) commented on the situation saying, "Given the length of time UC operated without the threat of competition, it appears that it has been lulled into a state of irresponsible complacency." Rep. Peter Deutsch (Fla) also said, "Laboratory management became arrogant and defiant over the years…When problems were uncovered, they made promises…We have found missing hard drives and other classified electronic media for which there are no acceptable explanations…the entire…system is in shambles."

Now enter Mr. Glenn Walp. Walp was hired in 2002 to investigate the thefts and improve the lab's overall security, but was fired when his investigation led him to an all-too unpleasant truth about the goings-on at LANL. What he found was a "culture of theft" and even more worrisome- officials who wanted it covered up, at all costs. Walp shared his story and thoughts with me about lab thefts and the seriousness of the potential damage.

Continued...

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