Diplomatic security

When diplomats get punished for doing their jobs

On Oct. 21, 2014, Robin Raphel, a former assistant secretary of state, got an urgent call from her daughter, who said that something had triggered the burglar alarm at home. When Raphel arrived, she found FBI agentssearching her files and other personal materials.

Raphel frantically telephoned her office at the State Department to ask what was happening; colleagues said they had been instructed not to speak with her. Agents were already riffling her desk at State and putting up yellow tape to warn off workmates.

Raphel’s voice still shakes with emotion as she recalls that afternoon. The FBI search warrant said she was being investigated under 18 U.S. Code Section 793(e), a criminal statute that covers illegal gathering or transmission of national-security information and is used in espionage cases. The warrant offered no other details.