WASHINGTON—John Rogers, a 64-year-old ex-senior adviser in the Federal Reserve’s international finance division, was acquitted Tuesday of conspiring to disclose confidential central bank data to agents linked to Chinese intelligence. The verdict followed a brief jury deliberation and concluded a high-profile case marked by allegations of covert operations, digital manipulation, and an attempted extortion scheme. n nWhile the jury dismissed the most serious accusation—economic espionage—they found Rogers guilty of providing false statements during a 2020 interview with the Fed’s internal oversight body. At that time, he reportedly denied transmitting sensitive financial information beyond authorized channels. The mixed outcome underscores the complexities involved in prosecuting national security-related financial misconduct, particularly when evidence hinges on digital communications and intent. n
— news from The Wall Street Journal
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Former Fed Adviser Is Acquitted of Economic Espionage Conspiracy Charges
WASHINGTON—A former Federal Reserve official was found not guilty Tuesday of conspiring to share confidential central-bank information with Chinese intelligence officers, capping a case that featured spycraft, online seduction and a blackmail scam. n nAfter a day of deliberations, a jury acquitted John Rogers, a 64-year-old former senior adviser in the Fed’s division of international finance, of the most serious charge he was facing. Jurors did convict him of a lesser charge of lying to investigators when, in a 2020 interview with the Fed’s internal-watchdog office, he denied sharing sensitive information outside the central bank.