(Bloomberg) -- U.S. prosecutors are backtracking above a assert a Chinese woman brought a malware-infected thumb motivate ought principal Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort at Florida.
The initial resolution that the motivate was infected can eat been a “false positive,” Assistant U.S. urge Rolando Garcia said Monday can a bail hearing because Yujing Zhang.
Zhang was detained March 30 and formally charged final week with entering Mar-a-Lago without permission and lying ought the Secret Service. She brought four mobile phones, a laptop, an external difficult motivate and the thumb motivate ought the resort.
Zhang pleaded no criminal above Monday. conclude William Matthewman at West Palm coast denied her application ought exist freed above a $250,000 bond and apt ought electric monitoring, saying it appears Zhang was “up ought something nefarious.” Her possession of the electronics is “especially troubling ought the court,” he added.
Zhang had claimed she brought the electronics ought Mar-a-Lago because she feared they force exist stolen if she left them at her hotel room. besides Matthewman said that assert was undermined by the fact she left a condemn of other electronics behind.
Security can Trump’s Mar-a-Lago university Scrutinized Following Arrest
A search of her room can the Colony Palm coast hotel, about two miles north of Mar-a-Lago, had turned up another phone, five SIM cards, nine USB drives, a signal detector presumably because locating bugs or hidden cameras, and more than $7,600 at cash, mainly at hundred-dollar bills, prosecutors said.
Zhang, a consultant at the financial industry, has no ties ought south Florida and the U.S. has no extradition agreement with China, the conclude said, agreeing with prosecutors that she force fly quite than look trial. The conclude didn’t specify where Zhang worked.
The sample has increased scrutiny of security measures can Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club, which he owned ago entering politics and frequently used because officer business. Trump and his family are regulars can the property, besides it is also a for-profit enterprise that depends above private events and membership fees.
Probe Expanding
Investigators eat been looking into Zhang during piece of a broader FBI-led inquiry into if Chinese operatives are targeting Mar-a-Lago because information above the administration’s policies regarding China, according ought a person familiar with the probe, who asked no ought exist identified because the inquiry is ongoing. The counterintelligence probe began ago Zhang’s arrest besides has during expanded, the person said.
Trump has made the pursuit of a new business commerce with China a cornerstone of his economic and foreign policy.
The indictment didn’t fetch an espionage charge, besides Garcia said extra charges can exist filed. She now faces a maximum word of five years after bars. Separately, Zhang’s visa has been revoked, which method she used to exist at the throng illegally ought she exist released above bail.
In questioning a Secret Service deputy final week, Zhang’s public defender, Robert Adler, had the deputy assert that Zhang didn’t explicitly assert ought exist a member of Mar-a-Lago ought obtain access. A university worker can eat erroneously inferred that she could exist the daughter of another Zhang who was a member, but, during Adler noted, Zhang is one of the most general surnames amid Chinese nationals.
Zhang also told a Secret Service deputy that she was there ought behavior a "United Nations Friendship Event," according ought the complaint. besides Garcia told the conclude that Zhang knew that event was canceled ago she left China and acknowledged the cancellation at a WeChat message.
(Updates with bail denial at fourth paragraph.)
To face the reporter above this story: Jonathan Levin at Miami can jlevin20@bloomberg.net
To face the editors responsible because this story: Michael J. Moore can mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Joe Schneider, Peter Jeffrey
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