[Free Beacon] The federal government leases space from foreign owners that is used by various agencies to store sensitive information and conduct classified operations, raising concerns about potential security implications.Office space used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Secret Service, and other agencies is leased by the government from companies based in foreign nations, according to a new audit from the Government Accountability Office assessing foreign ownership of "high-security space."
As of March 2016, the General Services Administration leased high-security space in at least 20 different buildings owned by companies based in China, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and other foreign nations.
"The 26 tenant agencies occupy about 3.3 million square feet at an annual cost of about $97 million and use the space, in some cases, for classified operations and to store law enforcement evidence and sensitive data," the report, a sensitive version of which was sent to Congress in November, states.
"Federal officials who assess foreign investments in the United States and some tenant agencies occupying high-security leased space told GAO that leasing space in foreign-owned buildings could present security risks such as espionage and unauthorized cyber and physical access."
The leased spaces included six different FBI field offices; three DEA field offices; and other offices used by the State Department, the Department of Defense's Army Corps of Engineers, the Social Security Administration, and various departments within the U.S. Treasury.
"Because the tenants include intelligence and law enforcement agencies, this high-security space is used, among other things, for classified operations and storage of weapons, law enforcement evidence, and sensitive data," GAO auditors wrote.