“Much of the information pertained to US military sales to Taiwan and was classified at the secret level,” a justice department news release said. “During the course of the conspiracy, Kuo cultivated a friendship with Bergersen, bestowing him with gifts, cash payments, dinners and money for gambling during trips to Los Vegas.”
Until his resignation last week, Bergersen was a weapons system policy analyst with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, a Pentagon unit that coordinates weapons sales to Taiwan and other countries. He is also suspected of passing on information to Kuo on secret five year plans of US arms sales to Taiwan, which, the affidavit said, could give China valuable information about long-term US-Taiwan military cooperation and strategy.
The secret information contained the quantity, dollar value and names of the weapons systems, which “could be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of a foreign nation,” the fact sheet said.
“That’s hard stuff to get,” Bergersen was quoted as saying in response to Kuo’s request in a telephone call, the US fact sheet said.
“I’ll check into it,” he was quoted as saying
Kuo and Kang remain behind bars; Kuo is in Virginia and Kang in New Orleans. Neither has been indicted or formally charged, and the court has set an April 18 deadline for the US to return an indictment. Both have pleaded not guilty.
In a court appearance on Feb. 15, Kuo was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody. The court found that Kuo had damaging information “in his head” and could not be monitored sufficiently 24 hours a day to prevent that information on Taiwanese military matters being secretly passed on to China.
Kang has also been denied bond.
Kuo and Kang are named in a case separate from Bergersen’s. They are charged with a conspiracy to deliver material defense information to China, charges that carry maximum terms of life imprisonment.
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