Table of Contents
2021/06/14 First Trial Ends in Mistrial: FBI Revelations
2021/07/30 Outage at DOJ Motion for Retrial
2021/09/09 Acquitted of All Charges
2021/09/13 APA Justice Monthly Meeting
Wendy Chandler - Juror of First Trial on “Ridiculous Case”
Mary McAlpin - UTK Chapter of AAUP Spoke Out
Nomination of Casey Arrowood Defeated
Photo Album & Links and References
Overview
On February 27, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of Professor Anming Hu, an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK).
Professor Hu was the second China Initiative case involving a U.S. university professor of Asian ancestry. He was charged with three counts each of wire fraud and making false statements, but not espionage. The charges stemmed from his purported failure to disclose affiliations with a Chinese university while receiving funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Professor Hu was the first to go to trial. A mistrial was declared on June 16, 2021, after the jury deadlocked. The jury includes 4 women and 8 men - all white.
This was an embarrassing outcome for DOJ to fail on the very first trial under the China Initiative. What was even more embarrassing was the overzealous tactics and misconduct of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) revealed during the trial.
On the part of UTK administrators, they concealed the federal investigation from Professor Hu, provided his records to the authorities without a warrant or informing him, suspended him without pay, and fired him shortly after. Without any attempt to protect its faculty, UTK was broadly criticized for throwing Professor Hu “under the bus.”
Despite the absence of evidence and misconduct, DOJ opted to pursue a retrial on July 30, 2021, prompting outrage by members of Congress, national and local organizations, the Asian American community, and the general public.
On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Hu of all charges in his indictment.
“The government has failed to provide sufficient evidence from which any rational jury could find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant had specific intent to defraud NASA by hiding his affiliation with BJUT [Beijing University of Technology] from UTK," he wrote.
Professor Hu was born in China and is a naturalized Canadian citizen. He joined the UTK faculty in 2013. At the time of his arrest, he was a tenured professor. After his arrest, UTK suspended him without pay. His son had to withdraw from UTK due to financial difficulties.
UTK terminated Professor Hu’s employment on October 8, 2020, citing the termination was not for cause but for “not eligible to work due to policy or regulations.”
On October 14, 2021, UTK offered to reinstate Professor Hu. On February 1, 2022, Professor Hu returned to his laboratory.
After a long delay, Professor Hu’s application for U.S. permanent residency was approved in March 2024.
2021/06/14 First Trial Ends in Mistrial: FBI Revelations
The jury trial of Professor Hu started on June 7, 2021.
On June 16, 2021, a mistrial in Professor Anming Hu’s case was declared after the jury deadlocked.
Knox News reporter Jamie Satterfield provided end-to-end coverage of the trial. Although it was not her original assignment, Satterfield was on site to observe witness testimony, read records related to the case, and conducted a thorough, independent investigation.
According to the Knox News reports, FBI agent Kujtim Sadiku admitted in court testimonies that federal agents:
Falsely accused Professor Hu of being a spy for China,
Falsely implicated him as an operative for the Chinese military in meetings with Professor Hu’s superiors,
Used false information to put Professor Hu on the federal no-fly list,
Spurred U.S. customs agents to seize Professor Hu’s computer and phone and spread word throughout the international research community that Professor Hu was poison,
Used false information to justify putting a team of agents to spy on Professor Hu and his son, a freshman at UTK, for nearly two years,
Used false information to press Professor Hu to become a spy for the U.S. government.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Phil Lomonaco said to Sadiku, “You wanted to find a Chinese spy in Knoxville,” making note of the tactics he used to secure a fraud indictment against Professor Hu.
“My job is to find spies, yes,” the FBI agent responded.
During the trial, Sadiku admitted to not knowing the last time Professor Hu was in China.
“You’ve been carrying around his passport … haven’t you?” Lomonaco asked Sadiku. “You know you’re under oath, right?”
“I don’t remember the dates on it. … I wouldn’t rely on that document,” Sadiku responded.
Lomonaco asked if Sadiku could return Professor Hu’s passport.
During the trial, Sadiku was unable to recall who tipped him off that Professor Hu might be a spy.
Sadiku claimed that his investigation had nothing to do with the China Initiative when the Trump administration was pushing federal prosecutors to round up Chinese spies under the China Initiative.
He also claimed that his investigation began with an “open source” search for information on Professor Hu, which turned out to be a Google search on the professor.
“If you can find it by Google search, how can it be that Professor Hu was hiding it as a secret,” Satterfield raised the rhetorical question after the mistrial.
Sadiku admitted to telling university officials that Professor Hu was a Chinese military operative, despite having no evidence to back up that claim. He never followed up with the officials to clarify that his statements were false.
Federal prosecutors then shifted their focus away from unsupported spy allegations. Instead, they pursued a case of fraud, citing a law known as the NASA restriction.
This law prohibits NASA from funding research involving collaboration with China or Chinese-owned companies. Professor Hu was accused of intentionally omitting his part-time teaching job at the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) from disclosure forms, allegedly violating the NASA restriction.
However, the law does not bar NASA from funding research that involves collaboration with Chinese universities. NASA itself added Chinese universities to its restrictions list and the DOJ under the Trump administration used it as an excuse in 2018 to search American universities for China-born researchers as potential spies.
Professor Hu was not the only professor born in China targeted as part of the China Initiative, but his trial is the first legal test of that NASA policy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Arrowood argued that Professor Hu began plotting to violate the NASA restriction in 2013 — two years after it was enacted — by leaving his part-time teaching job at BJUT off his UTK “outside interests” form.
However, testimony showed that UTK officials told Professor Hu and all its research personnel the NASA restriction did not apply to its “faculty, staff and students” because they are not “entities of China.” A letter, dubbed the China Assurance and sent to NASA with each UTK grant proposal, repeated the same language.
Professor Hu’s affiliation with BJUT was clearly listed in other UTK documents and in dozens of research papers posted on the Internet.
Lomonaco also noted it was not Professor Hu who sought a NASA grant. It was NASA who sought Professor Hu’s technology. “They wanted him to work on this project,” Lomonaco said. “(A NASA contractor) sought him out because he was so qualified. (Hu) wasn’t trying to trick NASA.”
2021/07/30 Outrage at DOJ Motion for Retrial
On July 30, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that it intends to retry the case against Professor Anming Hu after FBI agents admitted under oath to knowingly building a case on falsified evidence to find a non-existent spy, resulting in a mistrial.
In statement issued by Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, she said, “Instead of the normal process of beginning with a crime and searching for a suspect, the FBI has, through its China Initiative, started with racially profiled suspects and searched for a crime. Many of the FBI’s cases have been flawed from the start, evident in the number of cases that have been dropped without any explanation, and despite the incredible harm done to those whose lives have been turned upside down by these investigations. The case of Dr. Anming Hu is the most glaring example of how investigations rooted in racial profiling lead to flimsy cases that cannot stand up in court. Worse, in order to justify this investigation, we know that FBI agents have falsified evidence. Yet instead of accepting that Dr. Hu does not in any way present a threat to our national security, the DOJ is disappointingly doubling down, pressing for a retrial to justify their fruitless investigation. We must take national security threats seriously, but the China Initiative does not work, and has threatened a return to prejudice as a cornerstone of policy. Unless the DOJ has new evidence against Dr. Hu, this case must be dropped and the China Initiative halted.”
After the government made its announcement, defense attorney Philip Lomonaco filed a renewed motion for judgment of acquittal, which was originally filed on June 11, 2021. The motion for acquittal was made because "the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction. There is no evidence that Professor Hu willfully intended to deceive NASA... Without the intent to deceive there can be no wire fraud conviction. Without the convictions for wire fraud, the remaining counts would fail as well... In the alternative, Defendant would rely on previous briefings to the Court regarding the lack of intent to harm NASA as being a defense to wire fraud as well."
On August 20, 2021, APA Justice and a coalition of nine national and local organizations sent a letter to Judge Thomas A. Varlan urging him to dismiss the case and acquit Professor Hu in the best interest of justice and fairness.
The letter provides the Asian American historical perspective on racial profiling, including the government's continuing use of xenophobic labels on Asian Americans such as "Non-traditional Collectors" and "Thousand Grains of Sand," as well as a continuing pattern with the cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, Professor Xiaoxing Xi, and Ms. Sherry Chen prior to the China Initiative.
The first trial shows that Professor Hu’s case has nothing to do with theft of American trade secrets. It started as an economic espionage investigation based on a false premise and failed with misinformation to implicate Professor Hu as a spy for China and attempt to press him to spy for the U.S. government. Congress made inquiries into the alleged FBI misconduct.
It is with this historical perspective and the prevailing facts in his case that we find the intent by the DOJ to retry Professor Hu to be deeply concerning and invidious.
Massive amounts of taxpayers’ dollars and federal resources have already been spent without accountability to inflict enormous harm to Professor Hu and his family in the government’s zeal to hunt for a non-existent spy. Overzealous investigations such as Professor Hu’s undermines the U.S. Constitution as the government should have at least a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing before launching an investigation, and race, ethnicity or national origin should not be used to profile people. The co-signers of the letter were:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Asian-American Community Service Council
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Defending Rights & Dissent
Greater Nashville Chinese Association (GNCA)
New England Chinese American Coalition (NECAC)
Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA)
San Francisco Community Alliance for Unity, Safety & Education (SFCause)
University of Tennessee Chapter of the American Association of University Professors
The following organizations co-signed the letter at a later date:
Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC)
Calvin J Li Memorial Foundation
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
Carl Patton, Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University, and The Committee of Concerned Scientists also sent their letters to Judge Varlan urging the dismissal of Professor Hu's case on August 2 and 4, 2021 respectively.
2021/09/09 Acquitted of All Charges
The first trial of Professor Hu revealed the zeal of the misguided China Initiative to criminalize Professor Hu with reckless and deplorable tactics of spreading false information to cast him as a spy for China and press him to become a spy for the U.S. government. When these efforts failed, DOJ brought charges against Professor Hu for intentionally hiding his ties to a Chinese university, which also fell apart upon cross examination during the trial.
A former juror said after the first trial, “It was the most ridiculous case.” About the FBI, she added: “If this is who is protecting America, we’ve got problems.”
Despite the egregious abuses of authority and lack of evidence, DOJ motioned for a retrial of Professor Hu on July 30, 2021.
The blatant disregard of fairness and justice outraged members of Congress, national and local organizations, the Asian American community, and the general public.
On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Hu of all charges in his indictment.
Judge Varlan wrote on page 42 of the 52-page ruling acquitting Hu that "the government has failed to provide sufficient evidence from which any rational jury could find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant had specific intent to defraud NASA by hiding his affiliation with BJUT [Beijing University of Technology] from UTK."
According to two legal experts, the judge's ruling has particular significance and relevance in similar cases against an academic under the China Initiative. On page 38 of the ruling, the judge wrote:
The Sixth Circuit’s Frost decision is squarely aligned with Takhalov’s conclusion that the federal wire fraud statute requires the intent to cause a tangible harm to the victim regarding the benefit of the bargain between the parties. Frost’s ultimate conclusion that the lack of tangible harm meant there was insufficient evidence on the element of intent to Case 3:20-cr-00021-TAV-DCP Document 141 Filed 09/09/21 Page 38 of 52 PageID #: 2333 39 defraud, 125 F.3d at 361–62, further confirms that Takhalov’s definition of the term “defraud” in the federal wire fraud statute is correct and applies equally in this Circuit.
The two legal experts opined that the judge required a high standard of “a specific intent to defraud” so as to receive some financial benefits. Professor Hu’s alleged hiding of his relationship with BJUT was not to defraud NASA for money. Accordingly, the wire fraud charges should be dropped. This means that this will make DOJ's wire fraud charge against other professors considerably harder.
In addition, the judge carefully described how UTK failed to provide clear guidance and training to the professors on the restrictions of the collaboration with Chinese institutions, which explains why Professor Hu did not fully disclose his affiliation with the Chinese university. This problem is common in nearly all universities in the U.S. and can be used as a reason to fight the charges against other professors.
2021/09/13 APA Justice Monthly Meeting
Professor Anming Hu, his wife Ivy Yang, and defense attorney Phil Lomonaco spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 13, 2021, only days after Professor Hu’s acquittal.
Phil led off the meeting with the good news about the acquittal of Professor Hu on September 9, 2021. He expressed appreciation for the interest, support, and help from many to Professor Hu and his family through the trying times. There were many twists and turns in the case.
As the first academic to go to trial under the China Initiative, it was very important to have a good outcome for Professor Hu’s case, and Phill could not ask for anything better.
Judge Thomas Varlan right from the beginning was open. He looked at the pre-trial motions where Phil set off the facts and arguments. The judge was open to waiting to see the evidence at trial - whether what Phil said in his papers really came true through the witnesses’ testimonies.
The judge paid attention and was very much on point with everything in his memorandum opinion, granting the rule 29 motion by tracking the trial.
Basically, Judge Varlan found there was no preponderance of the evidence to convince a jury that Professor Hu was guilty even given in a light most favorable to the government. The government did not provide sufficient evidence of guilt.
The judge found two reasons why Professor Hu was innocent of wire fraud.
The first being that there was insufficient evidence to show that he intended to deceive NASA, or fraudulently represent a material fact to NASA, that there was no satisfactory evidence to prove that.
The second theory Phil had propounded was that there was no damage or Professor Hu did not intend to injure NASA. Phil found a case law supporting the theory that if NASA is not damaged, or if Professor Hu was not taking property or money from NASA, or intended to take property and money from NASA, he could not be convicted of wire fraud.
Phil cited a case out of the 11-th Circuit that held if there is no harm there is no foul, so to speak. It was a district court judge who is sitting on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. So it would have been Judge Varlan’s boss if he disagreed with that theory. That was another blessing that God provided, Phil said.
Without the proof that Professor Hu knowingly and intentionally tried to deceive NASA, the last three counts of false statements were also not supported by evidence. If he did not intend to deceive NASA, then he did not intend to make false statements.
Under Rule 29, the judge granted an acquittal on all six counts of the indictment.
The last email Phil received from the government said that they were still trying to figure out their appeal options, which Phil did not think they had any, but he would see what they would say. They had a few days to absorb what had happened to make a statement officially in court if they were going to.
Phil was very happy with Professor Hu for being a trooper all the way through this process. Professor Hu did not waver to prove his innocence. And that is the kind of client Phil likes – those who are innocent although it is the most stressful type of representation. Phil wishes all his clients had two PhDs, which would be a lot more helpful.
Ivy Yang, wife of Professor Hu, followed Phil and expressed gratitude on behalf of their family including three children. The broad support they have received gave them comfort and inspiration to fight against injustice with determination and faith.
History is made by people who are the true patriots of this country. Ivy thanked Phil as their beloved attorney and a wise and humble man. History was made by Phil, the jury, Jamie Satterfield, Judge Varlan, CAPAC, APA Justice, AAJC, United Chinese Americans, Asian American Scholar Forum, Committee of Concerned Scientists, American Association of University Professors, Tennessee Chinese American Alliance, and many, many more persons and organizations.
For everyone who made donations, provided encouragement, and watched the case closely, Ivy thanked them for providing the strength for her family to continue the fight. She said Anming is an ordinary passionate scientist who only wanted to perform his research and to contribute his talents to the academic world. What has happened in the past years has damaged his career and reputation that was built over many years of tremendous unbelievable hard work. Although their lives have been forever changed and they are not sure of what the future holds, they will be forever thankful for the selfless actions of individuals who believed and supported them throughout the entire journey despite the backlash, oppression, and fear of injustice.
Professor Hu concluded with his brief comments. It was still too challenging for him to find the proper words and no words would be adequate to express his deep appreciation for what so many have done for him. The scars and the painful memories are still there in his heart. For now, he preferred to remain silent and let Phil speak on the case and Ivy to speak for the family.
Mary McAlpin, President, UTK Chapter of the American Association of University (AAUP), also spoke at the meeting.
2021/12/18 AASF Webinar
On December 18, 2021, the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) hosted a webinar titled “The China Initiative and Professor Anming Hu’s Case.”
Margaret K. Lewis, Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law, served as moderator.
Featured speakers were:
Dr. Anming Hu, Associate Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Mara Hvistendahl, Investigative reporter with The Intercept and the author of the book The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage, on a case that foreshadowed the China Initiative
Jamie Satterfield, Investigative journalist with more than 33 years of experience, specializing in legal affairs, policing, public corruption, environmental crime and civil rights violations
Additional speakers included:
Steven Pei, Asian American Scholar Forum
Phil Lomonaco, defense attorney
Wendy Chandler, former juror of the first trial
Mary McAlpin, President, UTK Chapter of the American Association of University Professors
Mara Hvistendahl led off with historical context of targeting Chinese Americans dating back to the Second Red Scare and Dr. Qian Xuesen to the recent cases of Sherry Chen and Professor Xiaoxing Xi prior to the launch of the China Initiative.
For the first time since his acquittal, Professor Hu talked in detail about his experience and thoughts of his ordeal.
Jamie Satterfield, despite not being originally assigned to the case, described her investigative reporting. Her invaluable reports significantly impacted public understanding and perception of Professor Hu’s case in Tennessee and nationwide.
Wendy Chandler - Juror of First Trial on “Ridiculous Case”
A week after the first trial was declared to be a mistrial, on June 23, 2021, the Intercept published an interview with Wendy Chandler, a juror who served on the hung jury.
When Chandler was called to serve on a federal jury in Tennessee, she trusted the prosecutors and the FBI. She was known only as Juror 44 in the case.
She knew she had to keep an open mind. But surely there would be some merit to what the FBI had found, she thought. The government wouldn’t waste everyone’s time.
“I walked in assuming the government had some reason to be there, assuming that they were coming at it with honesty and integrity,” she told Mara Hvistendahl in the first interview given by a juror in the case. “I assumed the best for them.”
Chandler understood the complexity and importance of the case and committed to paying close attention, even adjusting her sleep schedule.
But as the trial progressed, she grew increasingly skeptical. After six days of hearing witnesses and arguments, she came to a conclusion.
“It was the most ridiculous case,” she said. About the FBI, she added: “If this is who is protecting America, we’ve got problems.”
The trial ended in a hung jury. Chandler, one of four women on the all-white jury, was one of the holdouts.
She came away believing that the lead FBI agent in the case had pursued the investigation out of ambition rather than an interest in justice. She also believed that when faced with questions from federal agents, the administrators who had advised Hu on his grant applications caved and hastily sacrificed their faculty. “This poor man just got sold down the river by his university and everyone else,” Chandler said.
Professor Hu’s case follows a long history of FBI surveillance of ethnic Chinese scientists in the U.S., some of it with disastrous results. In the 1960s, the bureau compiled lists of researchers with ties to China. In the 1980s, agents tailed renowned physicist Chang-Lin Tien, who later became the chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley. In the 1990s, an FBI and Department of Energy investigation into Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Wen Ho Lee imploded in a series of missteps.
“There has been very clear messaging from the Justice Department to the field offices that this is a massive priority and they should take it very seriously,” said Margaret Lewis, a law professor at Seton Hall University. “You combine that with calling it the China Initiative and issues with implicit bias, and you’re creating a recipe for unconscious decision-making to occur in a way that can pull you towards certain people as potential suspects.”
In February, civil rights groups, researchers, and others jointly wrote House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Chair Jamie Raskin to request a hearing on investigations of ethnic Asian scientists. Maryland state Sen. Susan C. Lee, who signed the letter, told The Intercept, “We just want some accountability, because you’re talking about people’s lives.”
Prosecutors tried to paint Professor Hu as duplicitous. In closing arguments, assistant U.S. attorney Casey Arrowood asserted, “He intentionally hid his ties to China to further his career. This case, ladies and gentlemen, is just that simple.”
Professor Hu’s attorney had a different view.
“This case is really embarrassing,” Lomonaco countered. “It makes me want to vomit.”
The jury began deliberating that afternoon, June 14. It was clear to Chandler from the outset that the jurors didn’t agree. By the end of the day, after three hours of deliberations, they had not reached a verdict.
Driving home that night, she burst into tears. “I was so scared for this man,” she recalled. The trial had left her with the feeling that the government was charging Professor Hu to justify its lengthy investigation. “They spent all this time and money on this big giant nothing burger, and they were not going to leave without a pound of flesh.”
The jury resumed deliberations on June 16 and discussed the case for the entire day. At 4:45 p.m., the foreperson reported to the court that they were deadlocked, and the judge declared a mistrial.
After she was dismissed from jury duty, Chandler found Professor Hu’s GoFundMe page, which his wife started to cover his legal fees, and donated $20. She believes the government now owes Professor Hu an apology and that the University of Tennessee should offer him his job back. As Chandler put it, “He deserves so much, this man, with what was done to him.”
Mary McAlpin - UTK Chapter of AAUP Spoke Out
Soon after the acquittal of Professor Hu, Professor Mary McAlpin, President of the UTK Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and Distinguished Professor of the Humanities and Professor of French at UTK, spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 13, 2021.
AAUP is a nonprofit membership association of faculty and other academic professionals. Headquartered in Washington, DC, AAUP members and chapters based at colleges and universities across the country. Founded in 1915, AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country's colleges and universities.
AAUP defines fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, advance the rights of academics, particularly as those rights pertain to academic freedom and shared governance, and promote the interests of higher education teaching and research.
AAUP looks into not only questions of tenured professors but also the protection of non-tenure track faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
Mary first heard of Professor Hu’s case from Jamie Satterfield’s report in the local newspaper, Knox News. People started posting many messages and questions in the AAUP listserv – What is going on? What happened? Is AAUP looking into this? What is the administration doing? People were upset and confused.
Although the case comes down to simple injustice, trying to figure out what happened through reading was a challenge.
Professor McAlpin provided a summary of three primary concerns.
First was the FBI investigation and how it seemed to be a travesty of justice, which was also what the judge concluded.
Second was UTK’s role in this investigation, which was also covered by Jamie Satterfield. One of her articles went into details about how the UTK administration responded to this case. The university is a giant bureaucratic entity, and it protects itself. When an FBI agent comes calling, the university is not there to help or protect the employee. This has happened several times over the course of Professor McAlpin’s career, but it was never in such an egregious and shocking fashion as in Professor Hu’s case.
Third was the government's targeting of international faculty. They are particularly vulnerable to losing their employment at UTK which was what happened with Professor Hu. There are many international faculty members working at UTK. Many of Professor McAlpin’s colleagues in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures at UTK are on green cards or H1 visas.
The international faculty members were probably following this situation very closely, but not speaking out the way that Mary believed she could as a U.S. citizen born in the U.S. and possessing tenure. Mary also said that she was closer to the end than the beginning of her career. As President of AAUP/UTK, she was also speaking for those who might be afraid to speak up, particularly employees who were not citizens at UTK.
When the acquittal of Professor Hu came through, Mary and her colleagues were thrilled to hear the news. AAUP/UTK sent an email to UTK Provost John Zomchick, hoping that Professor Hu would be reinstated with back pay and perhaps for emotional and other damages.
That was not what happened. Apparently, the university is expecting Professor Hu to demonstrate proof that he was able to work in the U.S. before they would rehire him.
The UTK Faculty Senate was leading on this case and trying to figure out what exactly was going on with the reinstatement and the legal issues involved. While Professor McAlpin could not speak to the legality of what happened, the Provost has said that in every case and every situation surrounding this case, the UTK administration followed both the letter and the spirit of the faculty handbook.
Even if the letter was followed, Professor McAlpin was not sure the spirit of the faculty handbook was followed in this case.
From what Professor McAlpin could piece together, Professor Hu was indicted by the federal government. At that point the UTK administration put Professor Hu first on paid and then on unpaid suspension. According to the faculty handbook, the UT administration did not have to put Profdssor. Hu on unpaid suspension.
For example, he could have been reassigned to another job unrelated to the indictment that was in play. It was a choice made to put Professor Hu on unpaid leave. Then, because Professor Hu was on unpaid leave, he no longer qualified for the H1B visa, with which he was working and at which point they fired Professor Hu not for cause, but because he did not have an H1B visa, which he did not have because they suspended him without pay, which they did not have to do.
Mary observed that UTK basically triggered their own ability to fire Professor Hu because they probably did not want to deal with the legal fallout of the indictment.
From what Mary understood at that time, Provost Zomchick was saying that UTK would rehire Professor Hu but he had to prove that he was eligible to work in the U.S., which would mean having a visa, which was lost precisely because the UTK administration suspended him.
This is a catch-22 Kafka situation. The faculty members at UTK and perhaps the Faculty Senate were not going to stop pushing on this issue. This is a clear travesty of justice, and it had been continued unfortunately at the level of the university even after the acquittal of Professor Hu.
The Role of UTK
APA Justice constructed a timeline on the chronological events at UTK. [subject to review and confirmation by Professor Hu.]
In March 2018, about nine months before the launch of the China Initiative, the FBI opened an economic espionage investigation on Professor Hu. FBI and Department of Energy (DOE) made at least four presentations to UTK officials prior to the indictment of Professor Hu.
After a mistrial was declared, Knox News published How the FBI manipulated the University of Tennessee to find a Chinese spy who didn't exist on July 29, 2021, raising a detailed list of questions about the university’s treatment of Professor Hu.
"The trial also revealed that UT administrators handed over documents from Hu’s university files without a warrant, concealed the federal investigation from him, misled NASA at the behest of a federal agent, set Hu up for his eventual arrest and fired him as soon as he was in handcuffs... It’s still not clear who at UT authorized meetings in 2018 between Hu’s bosses and federal agents or why. Chancellor Beverly Davenport was fired in July 2018 after a tumultuous tenure of less than 19 months, and System President Joe DiPietro announced his resignation two months later... The agents, testimony has revealed, didn’t have any proof of wrongdoing by Hu when they first walked onto UT’s campus and, therefore, no legal authority to take records from his personnel files," Knox News reported.
On August 4, 2021, UTK Provost John Zomchick issued a message to the UTK faculty, responding to UTK Faculty Senate President Lou Gross' questions regarding the faculty rights of Professor Hu. President Gross posted his questions and notes under "Faculty Member Suspension Issue" on his web page at https://bit.ly/3Cr67F1.
Citing that the university administration followed the letter and spirit of the Faculty Handbook at every stage, Provost Zomchick provided a timeline of administrative actions taken regarding Professor Hu’s tenured faculty appointment from suspension on February 25, 2020, to termination on October 8, 2020.
There were three versions of the Faculty Handbook online: 2016, 2019, and 2021.
The handbook says the Faculty Senate President should be consulted when the administration is considering suspending a tenured faculty member.
"That did not really happen," said Dr. Gross. "The then-faculty senate president was simply informed."
"I have made it clear, and our current provost has agreed, what consultation means," Dr. Gross told Knox News. "Consultation means that there will be time to actually look at the details of a particular situation and provide meaningful input from the faculty senate president."
One day after Professor Hu was acquitted of all charges, on September 10, 2021, UTK Chancellor Dr. Donde Plowman informed Dr. Gross and Dr. Beauvais Lyons, Faculty Representative on the UTK Advisory Board, that if Professor Hu "is able to verify authorization to work in the United States in the next year, the administrative termination will be reversed, and his faculty appointment will be reinstated with expectations in place around disclosures and outside interests."
In response, Dr. Gross expressed concern that Dr. Plowman's letter was inconsistent with the UTK Faculty Handbook, which states that "full restitution of salary, academic position and tenure lost during the suspension without pay will be made." Dr. Gross also described an apparent catch-22 situation "because Professor Hu lost his work authorization due to UTK action so it is not clear that he can possibly re-attain work authorization without first having his position and employment here restored."
In his separate response, Dr. Lyons urged UTK to take steps to reinstate Professor Hu to his faculty position. "This is not only about doing what is right, but damage control for our institutional reputation," he wrote. On September 13, 2021, Dr. Lyons and the Faculty Senate Faculty Affairs Committee which he chaired sent a memorandum including a set of 10 questions for UTK Provost Dr. John Zomchick to address at an upcoming Faculty Senate meeting.
The UTK Senate Faculty held a public meeting on September 20, 2021.
UTK faculty were also concerned with the lack of notice that Professor Hu received about the investigation. UTK administrators gave the U.S. Attorney’s Office documents from Professor Hu’s university files without a warrant, and they were not obligated to notify Hu.
“In a world of data privacy, this is a great concern to everyone," Dr. Gross said.
UTK faculty members were also upset with the lack of public support the university showed Professor Hu. According to the memo from the faculty affairs committee to the provost, the university did not make a statement specifically in support of Chinese and Chinese American communities.
On October 14, 2021, Dr. Zomchick offered to reinstate Professor Hu. On February 1, 2022, Professor Hu returned to his laboratory.
Nomination of Casey Arrowood Defeated
On July 29, 2022, the White House announced the nomination of Casey T. Arrowood to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Arrowood led the prosecution of Professor Hu.
“This is ridiculous,” Professor Hu said of the Arrowood nomination In an interview in August 2022. “This is the worst presidential nomination ever. I am shocked at this news.” Professor Hu said President Joe Biden should rescind the nomination and, if not, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary should reject Arrowood as a candidate for the post.
“My case was a case of wrongful prosecution, and I believe (if Arrowood is confirmed) similar things will happen again and will damage long term the U.S. (government’s) reputation,” Professor Hu said. “If you do something wrong, you should have consequences. Instead, (Arrowood) is getting rewarded. It is very unfair. I do not think this is a reasonable nomination.”
After the story was published, a slew of advocacy groups, including APA Justice, Asian American Scholar Forum, Tennessee Chinese American Alliance, and United Chinese Americans, teamed up with Professor Hu to defeat Arrowood’s nomination.
“The nomination of Mr. Arrowood is an affront to the Asian American, immigrant and scientific communities,” the groups stated in a letter-writing campaign notice. “It opens a new wound when we still need to heal from the targeting and fallout before and during the ‘China Initiative.’”
“Mr. Arrowood’s wrongful prosecution of Professor Hu betrayed the public trust and confidence we all place in our judicial system,” the letter stated. Mr. Arrowood demonstrated his poor judgment, wasted valuable taxpayers’ dollars, failed to uphold justice and fairness, and eroded public trust.
“His unjust prosecution of Professor Hu, not once but twice, is deplorable and an embarrassment to our nation,” the letter continued. “In summary, Mr. Arrowood’s track record does not meet the high requirements and expectations for a U.S. Attorney. We strongly support Professor Hu’s request for the withdrawal of the nomination of Mr. Casey Arrowood to be the next U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee did not vote on the Arrowood nomination when the Senate session ended in January 2023. The White House did not renominate Arrowood.
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Links and References
2023/01/03 Knox News opinion: Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrong about US attorney nominee
2022/11/10 Committee of 100: Committee of 100 Expresses Concerns Over Mr. Casey Arrowood Being Nominated to Serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee
2022/11/06 Knox News: 'I want him voted down': Professor wrongly accused of spying fights prosecutor's promotion
2022/08/31 Tennessee Lookout: Asian American groups urge rejection of nominee for U.S. Attorney in Tennessee’s Eastern District
2022/08/11 Tennessee Lookout: Falsely accused University of Tennessee professor: Biden should rescind U.S. Attorney nomination
2022/08/01 Congress.gov: PN2444 — Casey T. Arrowood — Department of Justice
2022/07/29 White House: President Biden Announces Three New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorneys, One to Serve as U.S. Marshal
2022/03/07 Nature: ‘I lost two years of my life’: US scientist falsely accused of hiding ties to China speaks out
2022/02/23 Knox News: Anming Hu rebuilds life, career at the University of Tennessee after beating false charges
2022/02/04 Inside Higher Ed: UT Knoxville Reinstates Professor Acquitted of Fraud Charges
2022/02/03 Knox News: Anming Hu, professor falsely accused of espionage, reinstated by University of Tennessee
2021/12/20 Times Higher Education: Faces of 2021: who shaped the higher education headlines this year
2021/12/01 UT Daily Beacon: 10 campus events that defined the fall 2021 semester
2021/11/28 New York Times: As U.S. Hunts for Chinese Spies, University Scientists Warn of Backlash
2021/11/11 University of Minnesota China Center: Considering Criminal Law's Role in Research Security
2021/10/29 UT Daily Beacon: University offers to reinstate professor acquitted of espionage charges
2021/10/27 Knox News: Former Tennessee professor Anming Hu urges university and lawmakers to speed up his rehiring
2021/10/27 Chronicle of Higher Education: When a Scholar Is Accused of Being a Spy
2021/10/20 UT Daily: ‘America reacts badly when it gets scared’: CNN’s Fareed Zakaria speaks at China Town Hall
2021/10/20 Ohio Chinese American Association 俄州亚太联盟: 胡安明教授将复职并获工资补偿与实验室重启经费
2021/10/19 NBC News: How a federal push to stop Chinese scientists from stealing U.S. secrets has sputtered in court
2021/10/19 Voice of America: 被控隐瞒与中国关系的教授胡安明被法官宣布无罪后 田纳西大学提出愿恢复其教职
2021/10/19 National Committee on U.S.-China Relations: CHINA Town Hall 2021: Fareed Zakaria
2021/10/18 Inside Higher Ed: UT Knoxville Offers to Reinstate Acquitted Professor
2021/10/18 Science: University offers to rehire professor acquitted of hiding China ties
2021/10/17 AP: University offers to rehire prof acquitted of ties to China
2021/10/17 South China Morning Post: Professor was cleared of hiding ties to China: US university wants him back
2021/10/16 The Hill: Professor cleared of inappropriate relationship with China offered position back at University of Tennessee
2021/10/15 Knox News: University of Tennessee offers to reinstate Anming Hu, who was fired after false spy case
2021/10/26 John Zomchick: Invitation to Attend AAPI Faculty Member Listening and Learning Session
2021/10/18 APA Justice: Invitation to UT President Mr. Randy Boyd to Speak in November 1 Monthly Meeting
2021/10/16 AP: University offers to rehire prof acquitted of ties to China
2021/10/15 Knox News: University of Tennessee offers to reinstate Anming Hu, who was fired after false spy case
2021/10/11 Knox News opinion: UT leaders must right a wrong and reinstate professor wrongly accused in spy case | Ashe
2021/10/11 APA Justice: Invitation to UTK Chancellor Dr. Donde Plowman to Speak in November 1 Monthly Meeting
2021/10/10 Times Higher Education: US universities take closer look at faculty distractions
2021/10/03 Knox News: University of Tennessee at Knoxville faculty call on the school to reinstate Anming Hu
2021/09/25 World University News: Professor acquittal – Is China Initiative out of control?
2021/09/24 Nature: University under pressure to rehire scientist acquitted of hiding China links
2021/09/24 Inside Higher Ed: Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
2021/09/22 SupChina: Calls to end ‘China Initiative’ intensify after Anming Hu acquittal
2021/09/20 APA Justice: Invitation to UTK Provost Dr. John Zomchick to Speak in October 5 Monthly Meeting
2021/09/20 APA Justice: Invitation to UTK Faculty Senate President Dr. Louis Gross to Speak in October 5 Monthly Meeting
2021/09/16 JDSupra: Recent Case Developments Indicate Increased Judicial Scrutiny on China Initiative Prosecutions
2021/09/16 AIP: Judge Acquits Nanotechnologist as Pressure Mounts on DOJ China Initiative
2021/09/15 Indian Express: Explained: Why academics are urging US to end initiative looking for ‘Chinese spies’ in universities
2021/09/14 Guardian: Abolish Trump-era ‘China Initiative’, academics urge, amid racial profiling criticism
2021/09/13 APA Justice: Summary of September Monthly Meeting
2021/09/13 Committee of Concerned Scientists: Chinese American at the University of Tennessee Tried by the United States for Working With China: All Charges Dropped. Government Did Not Make A Case
2021/09/13 American Institute of Physics: Judge Acquits Nanotechnologist in DOJ China Initiative Case
2021/09/13 Committee of Concerned Scientists: Chinese American at the University of Tennessee Tried by the United States for Working With China: All Charges Dropped. Government Did Not Make A Case.
2021/09/13 Yellow Whistle: The Yellow Whistle Commends Due Process and the Efforts of AAPI Civil Rights Groups in the Acquittal of Professor Anming Hu
2021/09/11 Next Shark: Tennessee professor accused of spying for China is acquitted by federal judge
2021/09/11 Texas News Today: Federal Judge Approves Tennessee Professor in Relations with China | Voice of America
2021/09/11 俄州亚太联盟: 美国会亚裔党团CAPAC成员就胡安明博士在基于虚假证据的误审后被宣判无罪发表声明
2021/09/10 South China Morning Post: US federal judge acquits professor Hu Anming of fraud after push to expose Chinese spies
2021/09/10 Inside Higher Ed: Researcher Accused of Concealing China Ties Acquitted
2021/09/10 Times Higher Education: China spying case ends as US judge acquits Anming Hu
2021/09/10 Washington Post: Federal judge acquits Tennessee professor with ties to China
2021/09/10 AP: Federal judge acquits Tennessee professor with ties to China
2021/09/10 OCA: OCA, AAFEN Commend the Acquittal of Former University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu
2021/09/10 CAPAC: CAPAC Member Statements on Acquittal of Dr. Anming Hu After Mistrial Based on False Evidence
2021/09/10 Committee of 100: Statement from Committee of 100 on the Acquittal of Dr. Anming Hu
2021/09/10 UCA: UCA Renews Call for Termination of the China Initiative Following Acquittal of Dr. Anming Hu
2021/09/10Las Vegas Sun: Federal judge acquits Tennessee professor with ties to China
2021/09/10 FintechZoom: Space – Federal judge tosses case against former UT prof accused of hiding ties to Chinese university
2021/09/10 AsAmNews: Professor acquitted of spy charges after failed FBI investigation
2021/09/10 Genome Web: Professor Acquitted
2021/09/10 South China Morning Post: Paranoid US is recruiting science talent for China
2021/09/10 Science: U.S. judge acquits academic accused of deceiving NASA about his China ties
2021/09/10 华尔街日报: 美国联邦法官宣布被指控隐瞒与中国关系的教授胡安明无罪
2021/09/10美国之音: 美国司法部中国倡议首案被告胡安明被判无罪
2021/09/09 Doc. 141: Memorandum Opinion and Order to aquit Professor Anming Hu
2021/09/09 Wall Street Journal: Federal Judge Acquits Professor Accused of Hiding China Ties
2021/09/09 Axios: Chinese researcher accused of spying under China Initiative acquitted of charges
2021/09/09 Rep. Ted Lieu tweet: Dear @TheJusticeDept: You should apologize to Professor Anming Hu
2021/09/09 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Asian American Civil Rights Group Applauds Acquittal of University Tennessee Professor Unjustly Prosecuted Under the “China Initiative”
2021/09/09 WBIR: Federal judge tosses case against former UT prof accused of hiding ties to Chinese university
2021/09/09 WATE: UT engineering professor acquitted of wire fraud, false statement charges
2021/09/09 Knox News: Former Tennessee professor acquitted of fraud charges in espionage investigation
2021/08/20 APA Justice: Letter to Judge Varlan
2021/08/20 South China Morning Post: Calls grow for US to dismiss ‘Nasa lies’ case of Hu Anming, as critics cite ‘racial bias’ in accusation that he hid ties to Chinese university
2021/08/24 Rafu Shimpo: AAPI Civil Rights Groups Ask Biden to Pause DOJ’s China Initiative
2021/08/20 South China Morning Post: Calls grow for US to dismiss ‘Nasa lies’ case of Hu Anming, as critics cite ‘racial bias’ in accusation that he hid ties to Chinese university
2021/08/20 South China Morning Post: Biden urged to pause and review China Initiative for racial profiling
2021/08/11 Chronicle of Higher Ed: Has the Hunt for Chinese Spies Become a Witch Hunt?
2021/08/11 WBIR: International committee of scientists presses judge weighing charges against former UT researcher, professor
2021/08/10 The Guardian editorial: The Guardian view on anti-Chinese suspicion: target espionage, not ethnicities
2021/08/06 JDSupra: DOJ’s “China Initiative” Falters
2021/08/06 Committee of Concerned Scientists: Case Against Chinese-Canadian Scientist Ends With Mistrial But Government Files Notice of Intent to Pursue Retrial
2021/08/05 WilmerHale: DOJ’s “China Initiative” Falters
2021/08/04 UTK Provost John Zomchick: Response to questions about faculty rights of Dr. Anming Hu
2021/08/04 The Star: Chinese-born scholar retrial bid sparks outrage in US
2021/08/04 Committee of Concerned Scientists: Letter to Judge Varlan
2021/08/02 Carl Patton: Letter to Judge Varlan
2021/08/03 AP: Chinese espionage retrial sought for Tennessee researcher
2021/08/03 Times Higher Education: US revives pursuit of academic in China spying case
2021/08/02 Inside Higher Ed: Prosecutors to Retry Case Amid Concerns About China Initiative
2021/08/02 Knox News: Former University of Tennessee professor falsely accused of espionage faces second trial
2021/07/31 South China Morning Post: US to retry University of Tennessee professor on fraud charges following mistrial, drawing outcry
2021/07/30 PACER: DOJ Notice of Intent to Pursue a Retrial
2021/07/30 PACER: Defendant's Renewed Motion for Judgment of Acquittal
2021/07/30 Courthouse News Service: US to retry former Tennessee professor on charges of lying about ties to China
2021/07/30 WBIR-10: Federal prosecutors: We will retry UT prof accused of making false statements
2021/07/30 OCA: OCA Denounces the U.S. Department of Justice’s Decision to Retry Former University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu
2021/07/30 CAPAC: CAPAC Chair Statement on Retrial of Dr. Anming Hu After Mistrial Based on False Evidence
2021/07/30 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Asian American Civil Rights Group Denounces U.S. Government’s Decision to Retry University of Tennessee Professor Unjustly Prosecuted Under the “China Initiative”
2021/07/29 Knox News: How the FBI manipulated the University of Tennessee to find a Chinese spy who didn't exist
2021/06/23 Intercept: “Ridiculous Case”: Juror Criticizes DOJ for Charging Scientist with Hiding Ties to China
2021/07/27 Editor 99: The FBI destroyed this man’s life with false accusations of espionage
2021/07/26 SupChina: A scientist’s future hangs in the balance after another failure of the China Initiative
2021/07/23 Reason: The FBI Destroyed This Man's Life With Bogus Spying Accusations
2021/07/14 UTK Faculty Senate President: Further correspondence with Professor Gao following meeting with Provost and General Counsel
2021/07/13 WBIR: Prosecutors seek more time to decide whether they'll retry ex-UT prof whose trial ended in hung jury
2021/07/08 Asian American Scholar Forum: Open Letter: Call for immediate reinstatement of Prof. Anming Hu’s tenure
2021/07/08 Knox News: Former UT professor falsely accused of spying demands to know whether he'll be tried again
2021/07/08 Asian American Scholar Forum: Call for immediate reinstatement of Prof. Anming Hu’s tenure
2021/07/06 Anming Hu: Motion to inquire the Department of Justice whether they intend to retry Professor Hu's case
2021/07/06 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Letter to Acting U.S. Attorney urging his office to drop charges against Professor Hu
2021/07/05 UTK Faculty Senate President: Notes to Chancellor and response regarding suspension of a faculty member and associated news stories from Faculty Affairs Committee Chair (June 18-23, 2021)
2021/07/05 UTK Faculty Senate President: Correspondence with Senator Gao regarding suspension of a faculty member and Senate responses to date (July 4-5, 2021)
2021/07/03 South China Morning Post: US-China tech war: In the battle for talent, the US is ‘shooting ourselves in the foot’
2021/07/01 Tennessee Chinese American Alliance: Letter to Rep. Tim Burchett
2021/06/29 Cato Institute: The “China Initiative”: State‐sanctioned Chinese American Persecution
2021/06/27 MIT Technology Review: What a collapsed trial says about US claims of Chinese high-tech spying
2021/06/26 Yahoo News: FBI China spy probe faces backlash as case against professor ends in mistrial
2021/06/26 Axios: FBI China spy probe faces backlash as case against professor ends in mistrial
2021/06/25 Science: Mistrial in China Trials
2021/06/24 FedScoop: Lawmakers push DOJ to investigate China Initiative after engineer’s mistrial
2021/06/23 The Intercept: “Ridiculous Case”: Juror Criticizes DOJ For Charging Scientist With Hiding Ties To China
2021/06/23 Knox News: Congressmen question 'FBI misconduct' after UT professor falsely accused of spying for China
2021/06/23 OODA Loop: Reps Call for Review Into Alleged FBI ‘Misconduct’ Against Chinese Scientist Accused of Spying
2021/06/23 80-20: Letter to AG Merrick Garland
2021/06/22 NextGov: Reps Call for Review Into Alleged FBI ‘Misconduct’ Against Chinese Scientist Accused of Spying
2021/06/21 Wall Street Journal: Trump Election Pressure Caused Senior Justice Official to Weigh Resigning
2021/06/20 Market Research Telecast: The FBI charged a Chinese university professor with espionage based on a document translated with Google
2021/06/18-23 UTK Faculty Senate President Lou Gross: Notes to Chancellor and response regarding suspension of a faculty member and associated news stories from Faculty Affairs Committee Chair
2021/06/18 Inside Higher Ed: Mistrial Renews Concerns About U.S. China Initiative
2021/06/18 美国之音: 陪审团陷僵局 法官宣布对被控隐瞒与中国大学关系的胡安明的审判流审
2021/06/18 The Straits Times: US mistrial of Chinese scientist accused of hiding ties to Beijing uni raises concerns
2021/06/17 Washington Post: Mistrial in Justice Dept. fraud case against college professor prompts renewed scrutiny of agency’s ‘China Initiative’
2021/06/17 Rep. Ted Lieu: Joint letter with Reps. Mondaire Jones and Pramila Jayapal to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz
2021/06/17 South China Morning Post: US trial of scientist accused of hiding work in China ends in hung jury
2021/06/17 华盛顿资讯: 全美华人大会(UCA)关于胡安明博士案陪审团陷入僵局的声明
2021/06/17 The Times of India: Mistrial declared in case of US-based scientist charged with hiding ties to China
2021/06/17 华尔街日报: 联邦法官宣布华裔科学家胡安明案审理无效
2021/06/16 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Asian American Civil Rights Group Urges U.S. Attorney to Drop Case Against University of Tennessee Professor Wrongly Prosecuted Under the “China Initiative” After Trial Results in Deadlocked Jury
2021/06/16 Wall Street Journal: Trial of Scientist Accused of Hiding China Work Ends in Hung Jury
2021/06/16 AP: Mistrial declared in case of University of Tennessee prof
2021/06/16 Knox News: Trump Administration's first 'China Initiative' prosecution sputters as jurors deadlock
2021/06/17 UCA: Statement on the Deadlocked Jury of the Trial of Dr. Anming Hu, the First Charged Chinese American Scientist to go on Trial under DOJ's China Initiative
2021/06/17 Washington Post: Mistrial in Justice Dept. fraud case against college professor prompts renewed scrutiny of agency’s ‘China Initiative’
2021/06/17 Rep. Ted Lieu: Joint letter with Reps. Mondaire Jones and Pramila Jayapal to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz
2021/06/16 Wall Street Journal: Trial of Scientist Accused of Hiding China Work Ends in Hung Jury
2021/06/16 AP: Mistrial declared in case of University of Tennessee prof
2021/06/16 Knox News: Trump Administration's first 'China Initiative' prosecution sputters as jurors deadlock
2021/06/16 Yahoo News: Federal Agent Admits to Falsely Accusing Tennessee Professor of Being a Chinese Spy
2021/06/15 The Nation: FBI agent admits to falsely accusing nanotech research professor of being a Chinese military spy
2021/06/15 香港新聞網: FBI探員承認:誣告華裔教授是“中國間諜”
2021/06/15 华尔街日报: 华裔科学家胡安明案进入陪审团审议阶段
2021/06/15 AP: Jurors deliberate over whether professor hid ties to China
2021/06/14 Wall Street Journal: Trial of Scientist Accused of Hiding China Work Goes to Jury
2021/06/14 The Hill: Federal agents admit to falsely accusing Chinese professor of being a spy
2021/06/14 Knox News: With spy case a bust, feds seek fraud conviction against University of Tennessee professor
2021/06/14 The Cato Institute: Bad Incentives Lead FBI Agent to Accuse Chinese‐Born Canadian Researcher of Being a Spy
2021/06/14 WBIR-10: Jury deliberates in trial of UT researcher accused of hiding ties to China university
2021/06/13 Knox News: Trial reveals federal agents falsely accused a UT professor born in China of spying
2021/06/11 Anming Hu Defense Attorney: Motion to Dismiss
2021/06/10 世界新聞網: 華裔教授胡安明被控隱瞞與中國關係 受審第1人
2021/06/09 Knox News: University of Tennessee assured NASA that professor had no prohibited ties to China
2021/06/09 KHQ: Testimony: Professor noted ties to China in reports
2021/06/09 WRCB: Professor noted ties to China in reports
2021/06/08 AP: Trial begins for professor accused of hiding ties to China
2021/06/08 Fox-17: UT professor charged with hiding China ties claims innocence
2021/06/08 Progressive Farmer: Trial Begins for Hiding Ties to China
2021/06/08 Daily Caller: Professor Accused Of Hiding Chinese Ties Goes On Trial, First After Slew Of Similar Arrests
2021/06/08 South China Morning Post: US professor accused of hiding ties to China university stands trial
2021/06/08 Voice of America: 田纳西一华裔教授成为首位因被控隐瞒在中国的工作而出庭受审者
2021/06/08 华尔街日报: 华裔科学家胡安明因隐瞒在华工作指控成为在美受审第一人
2021/06/08 北美新视界: 华人科学家胡安明庭审,华人寻正义
2021/06/08 星𡷊日報: 被控隱瞞參與中國項目 華裔學者胡安明案開審
2021/06/08 Tennessee Chinese American Alliance: Press Statement
2021/06/08 Ivy Yang, Wife of Professor Anming Hu: Press Statement
2021/06/08 北美新视界: 华人科学家胡安明庭审,华人寻正义
2021/06/07 Wall Street Journal: Tennessee Scientist Is First to Go on Trial on Charges He Hid Work in China
2021/06/07 WBIR-10:Trial begins for UT researcher accused of hiding ties to China university
2021/06/07 WVLT-8: UT professor charged with defrauding NASA
2021/06/07 Knox News: Trial of former UT professor centers on whether he concealed ties to Chinese university
2021/06/07 Voice of America: Trial Begins for Professor Accused of Hiding Ties to China
2021/06/07 Week.com: Trial begins for professor accused of hiding ties to China
2021/02/16 Tennessean opinion: Accused Chinese academics in Tennessee and elsewhere should not be unfairly punished
2020/10/11 GoFundMe: Legal Defense Fund For Anming Hu
2020/10/08 UTK: Termination of Employment Letter to Anming Hu
2020/07/02 Knox News: University of Tennessee professor accused of hiding his Chinese job wants case tossed
2020/07/02 AP: Professor accused of hiding ties to China wants case tossed
2020/03/03 Knox News: Who is Anming Hu? UT professor charged with hiding Chinese ties is flight risk, feds say
2020/02/27 Department of Justice: Researcher at University Arrested for Wire Fraud and Making False Statements About Affiliation with a Chinese University
2019/10 American Association of University Professors: Association Procedures in Academic Freedom and Tenure Cases