U.S. diplomat being investigated in federal counterintelligence probe
WASHINGTON -- Veteran U.S. diplomat Robin Raphel is under federal investigation as part of a counterintelligence probe, U.S. officials confirm.
Raphel was a senior adviser on Pakistan in the office of the Special Representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) until her security clearances were recently revoked. She had been coordinating non-military assistance to Pakistan until her contract with the State Department was allowed to expire earlier this week.
Fellow diplomats told CBS that they were shocked by the probe. Colleagues said that they were kept in the dark about the details of the investigation and wondered if it might be the result of "confusion."
The Washington Post first reported the probe today and details of FBI searches of Raphel's home and her State Department office. Those took place in October.
Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the State Department "has been cooperating with our law enforcement colleagues on this matter." She pointed out that Raphel is "no longer a Department employee" but declined to share details. The exact nature of the investigation was not addressed and neither was the question of whether other diplomats had been implicated.
According to her online bio, Raphel started her career at the CIA before serving as a diplomat for more than 30 years. She held the rank of Ambassador, having served as President Clinton's top diplomat to Tunisia from 1997-2000.
