From ChatGPT:
In the case of Anming Hu, a Chinese-Canadian professor at the University of Tennessee, the FBI was found to have fabricated and mishandled evidence, leading to serious consequences for Hu despite his eventual acquittal. Here is a breakdown of how the FBI fabricated or misrepresented evidence:
1. False Accusation Based on Faulty Translation
FBI Agent Kujtim Sadiku used Google Translate to interpret academic materials written in Chinese. He misunderstood or misrepresented them, and wrongly concluded that Hu had hidden ties to a Chinese university that supposedly indicated espionage or conflicts of interest.
Problem: Google Translate is not reliable for interpreting nuanced legal or academic language, especially in national security contexts.
Result: Hu was accused of intentionally hiding a relationship with a Chinese university, which was not true.
2. Lying to Hu’s Employer
Agent Sadiku falsely told the University of Tennessee that Hu was under investigation for being a spy for China and linked to the Chinese military.
Purpose: This was done to pressure the university into suspending Hu and cutting ties, which they did.
Truth: No such military link existed, and the claims were baseless.
3. Placing Hu on the No-Fly List
Sadiku had Hu placed on the federal No-Fly List without justification.
Why it matters: Being on this list implies national security threats. It isolated Hu and damaged his reputation.
There was no evidence of wrongdoing that justified this move.
4. Attempt to Coerce Cooperation
FBI agents tried to pressure Hu into spying for the U.S. on China. When he refused, the harassment escalated.
They surveilled him for two years without finding evidence of espionage.
When that failed, they pivoted to charging him with fraud, based on an administrative misunderstanding in his research grant disclosures—not espionage.
5. Misleading the Prosecutors
The FBI did not initially inform the Department of Justice that they had no evidence of espionage, and that their case was based on a misunderstanding of university policies and miscommunications—not criminal intent.
Outcome:
Hu’s first trial in 2021 ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked.
A federal judge fully acquitted him in September 2021, declaring there was "no evidence" of intent to defraud and sharply criticized the FBI’s conduct.
The case became a symbol of the China Initiative’s failure and led to widespread condemnation from academic, civil liberties, and Asian-American groups.
1. False Accusation Based on Faulty Translation