A renowned Korean-American foreign policy expert has been arrested on allegations of acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government, the U.S. attorney’s office in New York said Wednesday.

Sue Mi Terry, who formerly worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Council and U.S. think tanks, was arrested in New York on Tuesday, the office in the Southern District of New York said in a release, as she was accused of offenses under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In the release, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Terry allegedly sold out her positions and influence to the Korean government in return for luxury handbags, expensive meals, and thousands of dollars of funding for her public policy program.

“As alleged, Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA and White House employee, subverted foreign agent registration laws in order to provide South Korean intelligence officers with access, information, and advocacy,” the attorney said.

He pointed out that the charges brought a
gainst her “should send a clear message to those in public policy who may be tempted to sell their expertise to a foreign government to think twice and ensure you are in accordance with the law.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency