Ex-White House Official Worked for South Korea in Exchange for Designer Bags, Prosecutors Say
A former senior official of the White House National Security Council who also once worked as an analyst for the CIA has been indicted on criminal charges accusing her of working as an agent for the government of South Korea allegedly in exchange for luxury gifts including designer handbags.
Sue Mi Terry was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to an indictment made public Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors allege that Terry promoted South Korea’s policy positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their American counterparts.
In return for her alleged actions, according to the indictment, South Korean intelligence officers lavished her with luxury gifts including a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and another $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag. Her handlers also allegedly bought her a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat and took her to “multiple restaurants with Michelin stars.”