WASHINGTON – A former Filipino police official was indicted Thursday on charges of passing classified information from an FBI analyst to officials in the Philippines.
The FBI is investigating whether the analyst, a former Marine, also provided classified information taken from the White House when he worked in the vice president’s office, government officials said.
Federal prosecutors in Newark, N.J., did not seek an indictment against the analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, because he is negotiating a plea, court records show.
His alleged go-between, Michael Ray Aquino, 39, living in Queens, N.Y., was charged with conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
The charges mirror those filed in September when Aquino and Aragoncillo were arrested. Both have been in federal custody in New Jersey since their arrests.
Philippine Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said the criminal complaint against Aragoncillo suggests the information could have been intended to destabilize the Philippine government.
Aragoncillo worked at the White House from 1999 to 2001 and was assigned to the vice president’s office under both Al Gore and Dick Cheney.
White House officials said Wednesday they were aware of the investigation but would provide no details.
A law enforcement official said investigators were examining all of Aragoncillo’s postings where he had access to classified information, including the White House.
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