The Nation - News from June 9, 1986

Fifty-six U.S. government employees working in sensitive national security jobs have declared bankruptcy in Baltimore federal court over the last five years, raising concerns they could become vulnerable to hostile intelligence services, according to a published report. “They’re sitting ducks for the KGB,” one unnamed senior intelligence official told the Washington Post, referring to the Soviet intelligence service. But the newspaper said there are no indications that any of the government employees who filed for bankruptcy are engaged in espionage. Concern over financially troubled government workers with access to government secrets arose from the arrest and recent conviction of former National Security Agency employee Ronald W. Pelton on espionage charges. Pelton declared bankruptcy before he quit his job at the NSA.