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Document:APNewsBreak: Homeland Security ofcial probed

APNewsBreak:HomelandSecurityofficialprobed

TheAssociatedPress

July23,2013Tuesday10:59PMGMT

Copyright2013AssociatedPressAllRightsReserved

Section:WASHINGTONDATELINE

Length:1033words

Byline:ByALICIAA.CALDWELL,AssociatedPress

Dateline:WASHINGTON

Body

PresidentBarackObama's choicetobetheNo.2officialattheHomelandSecurityDepartmentisunder
investigationforhisroleinhelpingacompanyrunbyabrotherofformerSecretaryofState
HillaryRodhamClinton, TheAssociatedPresshaslearned.

AlejandroMayorkas,directorofU.S.CitizenshipandImmigrationServices,isbeinginvestigatedforhis
roleinhelpingthecompanysecureaninternationalinvestorvisaforaChineseexecutive,accordingto
congressionalofficialsbriefedontheinvestigation.Theofficialsspokeontheconditionofanonymity
becausetheywerenotauthorizedtoreleasedetailsoftheinvestigation.

MayorkaswasnamedbyHomelandSecurity'sInspectorGeneral'sOfficeasatargetinaninvestigation
involvingtheforeigninvestorprogramrunbyUSCIS,accordingtoanemailsenttolawmakerslate
Monday.

Inthatemail,theIG'sofficesaid,"Atthispointinourinvestigation,wedonothaveanyfindingsof
criminalmisconduct."Theemaildidnotspecifyanycriminalallegationsitmightbeinvestigating.

WhiteHousepresssecretaryJayCarneyreferredquestionstotheinspectorgeneral'soffice,whichsaid
thattheprobeisinitspreliminarystageandthatitdoesn'tcommentonthespecificsofinvestigations.

Theprogram,knownasEB5,allowsforeignerstogetvisasiftheyinvest$500,000to$1millionin
projectsorbusinessesthatcreatejobsforU.S.citizens.Theamountoftheinvestmentrequireddepends
onthetypeofproject.Investorswhoareapprovedfortheprogramcanbecomelegalpermanentresidents
aftertwoyearsandcanlaterbeeligibletobecomecitizens.
IfMayorkaswereconfirmedasHomelandSecurity'sdeputysecretary,heprobablywouldrunthe
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IfMayorkaswereconfirmedasHomelandSecurity'sdeputysecretary,heprobablywouldrunthe
departmentuntilapermanentreplacementwasapprovedtotakeoverfordepartingSecretary

JanetNapolitano.

TheemailtolawmakerssaidtheprimarycomplaintagainstMayorkaswasthathehelpedafinancing
companyrunbyAnthonyRodham,abrotherofHillaryRodhamClinton, towinapprovalforaninvestor
visa,evenaftertheapplicationwasdeniedandanappealwasrejected.

Mayorkas,aformerU.S.attorneyinCalifornia,previouslycameundercriticismforhisinvolvementinthe
commutationbyPresidentBillClinton oftheprisonsentenceofthesonofaDemocraticPartydonor.
AnotherofHillaryClinton's brothers,HughRodham,hadbeenhiredbythedonortolobbyforthe
commutation.Mayorkastoldlawmakersduringhis2009confirmationhearingthat"itwasamistake"to
talktotheWhiteHouseabouttherequest.

HillaryClinton, whosteppeddownassecretaryofstateonFeb.1,isconsideredapossiblecontenderfor
theDemocraticpresidentialnominationin2016.

AccordingtotheInspectorGeneral'semail,theinvestigationoftheinvestorvisaprogramalsoincludes
allegationsthatotherUSCISOfficeofGeneralCounselofficialsobstructedanauditofthevisaprogramby
theSecuritiesandExchangeCommission.Theemaildidnotnameanyspecificofficialfromthegeneral
counsel'soffice.

TheemailsaysinvestigatorsdidnotknowwhetherMayorkaswasawareoftheinvestigation.TheFBI's
WashingtonFieldOfficewastoldabouttheinvestigationinJuneafteritinquiredaboutMayorkasaspartof
theWhiteHousebackgroundinvestigationforhisnominationasdeputyDHSsecretary.

TheFBIinWashingtonhasbeenconcernedabouttheinvestorvisaprogramandtheprojectsfundedby
foreignsourcessinceatleastMarch,accordingtoemailsobtainedbyTheAP.

ThebureauwanteddetailsofallofthelimitedliabilitycompaniesthathadinvestedintheEB5visa
program.Ofparticularconcern,theFBIofficialwrote,wasChineseinvestmentinprojects,includingthe
buildingofanFBIfacility.

"Let'sjustsaythatwehaveasignificantissuethatmyhigherupsarereallyconcernedaboutandthis
maybeaddressedwayabovemypaygrade,"anofficialwroteinoneemail.TheFBIofficial'snamewas
redactedinthatemail.

IowaSen.CharlesGrassley,therankingRepublicanontheSenateJudiciaryCommittee,senttheFBIa
lengthyletterTuesdayaskingfordetailsofitsreviewoftheforeigninvestorvisaprogramandChinese
investmentinU.S.infrastructureprojects.

ChineseinvestmentininfrastructureprojectshaslongbeenaconcernoftheU.S.government.In
September,theObamaadministrationblockedaChinesecompanyfromowningfourwindfarmprojectsin
northernOregonthatwerenearaNavybaseusedtoflyunmanneddronesandelectronicwarfareplanes
ontrainingmissions.AndinOctober,theHouseIntelligenceCommitteewarnedthattwoleadingChinese
technologyfirms,HuaweiTechnologiesLtd.andZTECorp.,posedamajorsecuritythreattotheU.S.Both
firmshavedeniedbeinginfluencedbytheChinesegovernment.

ThemostroutineusersoftheEB5programareChineseinvestors.Accordingtoanundated,unclassified
StateDepartmentreportabouttheprogramobtainedbytheAP,theU.S.ConsulateinGuangzhou,China,
processedmoreinvestorvisasinthe2011fiscalyearthananyotherconsulateorembassy.The
documentsays"applicantsareusuallycoachedandpreppedfortheirinterviews,makingitdifficulttotake
atfacevalueapplicants'claims"aboutwheretheirmoneycomesfromandwhethertheyholdmembership
intheChineseCommunistParty.Partymembershipwouldmakeanapplicantineligiblefortheinvestor
visa.

AnthonyRodhamispresidentandCEOofGulfCoastFundsManagementLLCinMcLean,Va.Thefirmis
oneofhundredsof"RegionalCenters"thatpoolinvestmentsfromforeignnationalslookingtoinvestin
U.S.businessesorindustriesaspartoftheforeigninvestorvisaprogram.

TherewasnoimmediateresponsetoanemailsenttoGulfCoastrequestingcomment.

ItisunclearfromtheIG'semailwhytheinvestorvisaapplicationwasdenied.Visarequestscanbe
deniedforanumberofreasons,includingacircumstancewhereanapplicanthasacriminalbackgroundor
isconsideredathreattonationalsecurityorpublicsafety.

AssociatedPresswritersStephenBraun,NedraPicklerandKenThomascontributedtothisreport.

FollowAliciaA.CaldwellonTwitterathttp://www.twitter.com/acaldwellap

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Classification

Language:ENGLISH

PublicationType:Newswire

Subject:(99%)INVESTIGATIONS(92%)(91%)PASSPORTS&VISAS(90%)FOREIGNINVESTMENT

(90%)APPROVALS(89%)USPRESIDENTIALCANDIDATES2016(89%)USFEDERALGOVERNMENT

(89%)USPRESIDENTIALCANDIDATES2008(89%)USDEMOCRATICPARTY(89%)USPRESIDENTIAL

CANDIDATES2012(79%)USPRESIDENTS(79%)RESIGNATIONS(79%)NATIONALSECURITY(78%)

CRIMINALINVESTIGATIONS(78%)MISCONDUCT(78%)SPECIALINVESTIGATIVEFORCES(78%)

IMMIGRATION(77%)IMMIGRATIONLAW(77%)USPRESIDENTIALELECTIONS(73%)LOBBYING

(72%)CITIZENSHIP(72%)LAWYERS(72%)SENTENCING(67%)JAILSENTENCING(67%)JOB

CREATION(65%)EMPLOYMENTGROWTH(65%)CORPORATECOUNSEL(64%)POLITICALPARTIES

(60%)USDHSOfficialInvestigated

Company:ASSOCIATEDPRESS(58%)

Organization:USDEPARTMENTOFHOMELANDSECURITY(95%)USCITIZENSHIP&IMMIGRATION

SERVICES(84%)

Industry:ELECTRONICMAIL(89%)LAWYERS(72%)CORPORATECOUNSEL(64%)

Person:HILLARYRODHAMCLINTON(89%)BILLCLINTON(79%)JANETNAPOLITANO(79%)BARACK

OBAMA(59%)

Geographic:CALIFORNIA,USA(79%)UNITEDSTATES(79%)

LoadDate:July24,2013

ContentType:News

Terms:alejandrow/1mayorkasandinspectorw/1generalandvisa

NarrowBy:Sources:TheAssociatedPressTimeline:Jan01,2013toDec31,2013AllContentTypes:News

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DateandTime:Apr20,201704:56:34p.m.EDT

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