Federal Officials Suspect HUNDREDS Of U.S. Scientists Of Having Ties To China

Fox News had more on the story: 

U.S. officials on Thursday shared concerns that China may have compromised hundreds of federally funded scientists dispersed at colleges and universities across the country.

Officials from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Government Accountability Office expressed their concerns during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

As of April, the NIH has identified more than 500 "scientists of concern" and has reached out to more than 200 at 90 institutions that receive federal grants, NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Michael Lauer said during the hearing, adding that "the workload" has strained the agency, which is "dealing with a very large number of cases."

The Washington Examiner came through with more details: 

Lauer said: “We’ve seen scientists who have told their American institutions and the NIH that they’re spending 100% of their time in the U.S., when, in fact, they’re spending 50% to 60% of their time in China — so they’re lying about how they’re spending their time, and that kind of blatant lie affects the credibility and the integrity of the entire enterprise.”

“One way that we measure success is by results that we’ve seen when we identify concerns and see whether or not there are consequences. There have been over a hundred scientists who have been removed from the NIH ecosystem,” Lauer said, noting that there have been “34 or so” referrals to Health and Human Services's Office of Inspector General.

“Unfortunately, a few governments have initiated systematic programs to exploit the collaborative nature of biomedical research and unduly influence U.S.‐supported researchers,” Lauer said, citing three major areas of concern.