Asian-American group fights ``overaggressive'' prosecution of scientists
Thursday February 06, 2003FOSTER CITY, Calif. (AP) A political group announced Thursday its declaration to protect Asian and Asian-American scientists and engineers from ``improper government investigative tactics.''
The board of directors of the political action committee 80-20, which raises money and support for political candidates friendly to Asian-American communities, unanimously adopted the resolution at its annual board meeting here.
Members said they wanted to help Asian scientists avoid the fate of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, a physicist once accused of stealing what some termed the crown jewels of U.S. nuclear weapons science.
After being fired from Los Alamos National Laboratory and arrested in December 1999, Lee spent 279 days in solitary confinement before the government dropped 58 counts against him.
If 80-20's board of directors suspects that another Asian or Asian-American scientist is wrongfully imprisoned or unfairly treated during a federal investigation, the group said it will try to raise awareness through the media and politicians. The group, which is registered with the Federal Election Commission, said it has a mailing list of 600,000 people and 1,600 dues-paying members in the United States.
If the committee believes federal authorities are pursuing an ``overaggressive, perhaps wrongful'' investigation in part because of the scientist's race, it may also offer financial or legal support to the scientist.
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