[THEREGISTER.CO.UK] According to Wolf, a whistleblower at NASA informed him about Jiang's dodgy behavior and said he was concerned that the doctor was carrying "source code for high tech imaging technology," that could be used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army to develop drones and advanced aerospace projects. Jiang had taken the hard drive with him on a previous visit home in violation of security policy, Wolf claimed.

The congressman also accused the space agency of bending the rules by hiring "certain foreign nationals of concern," and demanded to know how many other Chinese boffins NASA was employing. Wolf called for an independent investigatory panel to review the situation, an immediate block on the new hiring of foreign nationals, and a thorough investigation of any foreigners working at the agency, with full prosecution of any security offenses.

But Jiang was exonerated in a hearing on Thursday. "None of the computer media that Jiang attempted to bring to the PRC on March 16, 2013, contained classified information, export controlled information, or NASA proprietary information," according to the statement of facts filed in Jiang's case, Bloomberg reports.

A gentleman's private collection
The contents of the laptop and hard drive he was trying to conceal turned out to be nothing more than pirated films and "sexually explicit images." He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of violating NASA's administrative rules, but this was dismissed on the proviso that he leave the country within 48 hours.

"Dr. Jiang is relieved this ordeal is over," said his lawyer, Fernando Groene. "Although he was accused in arena of public opinion and in the halls of Congress, once due process was given he was cleared of any and all allegations that he was a spy."