Jeffrey Alexander Sterling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeffrey A. Sterling
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Sterling at the International Journalism Festival in 2024
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Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Washington University School of Law, 1992 Millikin University, 1989 |
| Occupation | Fraud investigator (2004–2011) Lawyer (unknown–present) Former undercover CIA officer (May 14, 1993 – January 31, 2002) |
| Known for | Whistleblower |
| Spouse(s) | Holly Sterling |
Jeffrey Alexander Sterling is an American lawyer and a former officer for the CIA. He became known for a major legal case involving the Espionage Act, a law about protecting government secrets.
The government accused him of giving secret information to a journalist named James Risen. This information was about a secret mission called Operation Merlin. Sterling said he was innocent and that the case was a punishment because he had filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the CIA.
A court found him guilty based on what the judge called "very powerful circumstantial evidence," which means evidence that suggests something is true but doesn't directly prove it. In May 2015, Sterling was sentenced to 3½ years in prison. He was released in January 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Jeffrey Sterling was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He went to college at Millikin University in Illinois, where he studied political science and graduated in 1989.
After college, he decided to study law. He attended the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, and earned his law degree in 1992.
Career at the CIA
Sterling joined the CIA on May 14, 1993. The CIA is a government agency that gathers information about foreign countries to help keep the United States safe. In 1995, he was promoted to be an operations officer. His job was to work on missions related to Iran.
He had a top-secret security clearance, which meant he was trusted with some of the country's most important secrets.
Working on Secret Missions
In 1997, Sterling learned to speak Persian, the language of Iran. He was sent to work in Germany and later New York City. His main task was to recruit Iranian citizens to become spies for the CIA.
From 1998 to 2000, he was a case officer for a secret mission. A case officer is someone who manages spies and secret operations. This mission involved giving Iran flawed, or incorrect, plans for a nuclear weapon. The goal was to slow down Iran's weapons program.
Disagreements with the CIA
In April 2000, Sterling filed a complaint against the CIA. He felt that he was being treated unfairly because of his race. The CIA placed him on leave, and his contract ended in January 2002.
Sterling then filed a lawsuit against the CIA for racial discrimination. However, the case was dismissed. A court ruled that he couldn't prove his case without revealing secret government information, which is not allowed under a rule called the state secrets privilege.
The Espionage Act Case
The U.S. government began to investigate Sterling. They looked at his emails and phone calls, including calls with journalist James Risen. The government believed Sterling had shared secret information about Operation Merlin with Risen.
In 2003, Sterling had also told the Senate Intelligence Committee, a part of the U.S. government that oversees spy agencies, that he thought Operation Merlin was dangerous and not well-planned.
Arrest and Trial
On December 22, 2010, Sterling was officially charged with breaking the Espionage Act. He was arrested on January 6, 2011. His lawyer said he was not guilty.
The government wanted the journalist, James Risen, to testify in court about who gave him the secret information. Risen refused, saying that journalists must protect their sources.
Sterling and his lawyers argued that the case was really about punishing him for his discrimination lawsuit. On January 26, 2015, a jury found him guilty.
Sentence and Prison Time
On May 11, 2015, a judge sentenced Sterling to 3½ years in prison. The judge said that revealing the identity of someone working with the CIA was a very serious issue.
Sterling was sent to a federal prison in Colorado. While in prison, he and his wife reported that he had serious health problems and was not getting the medical care he needed. He was released in January 2018.
Personal Life and Awards
Sterling is married to Holly Sterling, a social worker. They met online and were married in Jamaica.
In 2010, Sterling won an award from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association for his work as a fraud investigator. He helped uncover a scheme that was cheating Medicare, a government health program. His work saved an estimated $32 million. In 2019, he also received the Sam Adams Award, an award given to people in intelligence who show integrity and ethics.
See also
- Nuclear program of Iran
- Thomas Andrews Drake (NSA whistleblower charged under the Espionage Act, 2010)
- Stephen Jin-Woo Kim (State Department contractor convicted under Espionage Act, 2010)
