A New Zealand soldier admits attempted espionage in the country's first spying conviction
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand soldier who tried to spy for a foreign power has admitted to attempted espionage in a military court.
Monday's conviction was the first for spying in New Zealand's history. The soldier's name was suppressed, as was what country he sought to pass secrets to.
Military court documents said the man believed he was engaged with a foreign agent in 2019 when he tried to communicate military information including base telephone directories and maps, assessments of security weaknesses, his own identity card and log-in details for a military network. The wording of the charge said his actions were 'likely to prejudice the security or defense of New Zealand.'
He wasn't speaking to a foreign agent, but an undercover New Zealand police officer collecting intelligence on alleged right-wing extremist groups, documents supplied by the military court showed.
The soldier came to law enforcement attention as part of an operation that was established after a March 2019 terrorist attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch, when an Australian white supremacist opened fire on Muslim worshipers, killing 51.
Officers spoke to the man twice about his involvement in a group, court documents showed, and after the government became aware he had expressed a desire to defect he was contacted by the undercover officer.
When the soldier's hard drive was searched, investigators found a copy of Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant's livestreamed video of his massacre and a manifesto document he published online before the killings. Possession of either without permission is a criminal offense in New Zealand and the soldier, who admitted that charge too, joins several others convicted in New Zealand of having or sharing the terrorist's banned material.
In a statement read to the court by his lawyer, the man said the two nationalist groups with which he was involved were 'no more than groups of friends with similar points of view to my own,' according to Radio New Zealand.
The laywer, Steve Winter, added that his client denied supporting the Christchurch shooter's ideology, RNZ reported.
The soldier — who was based at Linton Military Camp near the city of Palmerston North — also pleaded guilty to accessing a military computer system for dishonest purposes. The amended suite of three charges replaced 17 counts levelled against him earlier in the proceedings.
Each of the three charges he admitted carries a maximum prison term of either seven or 10 years in New Zealand. His sentence was expected to be delivered by a military panel within days after Monday's conviction.
The man was due to stand trial by court martial on the charges before he admitted the offenses.
His was the first charge in a New Zealand military court for espionage or attempted spying. The last time such a case reached the civilian courts before was in 1975, when a public servant was acquitted on charges alleging he had passed information to Russian agents.
A spokesperson for New Zealand's military said they would not comment until the proceedings against the soldier finished.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
12 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fired LA fire chief, who was blasted for slow response to deadly wildfires, sues the city
Fired Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley is suing the city for her ouster, claiming Mayor Karen Bass launched a smear campaign against her after the deadly wildfires earlier this year. Crowley, whom Bass gave the axe in February for her allegedly bungled response to the Palisades Fire, accused the mayor of throwing her under the bus, her lawyers announced Wednesday. 'The claim sets out a pattern of dishonesty, scapegoating, and unlawful retaliation that destroyed the career of a 25-year public servant not because of any failure in her duties, but because she told the truth,' her legal team said in a press release. Advertisement 3 Former Los Angeles Fire Dept. Chief Kristin Crowley arrives to appeal for reinstatement as fire chief at city council meeting Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Los Angeles. AP 3 California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025. Getty Images Mayor Bass had accused Crowley of failing to mobilize around 1,000 spare firefighters after the blaze broke out, as well as failing to file an after-action report. But Crowley says Bass was covering for her own choice to cut the Los Angeles Fire Department budget by $17 million — and punishing Crowley for calling attention to the problem. Advertisement '[Crowley] told City leadership and the public that Mayor Bass' budget cuts and the City's decades of neglect had left the LAFD underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped to handle the rising demands of a growing city, especially one at risk of dangerous wildfires,' wrote her attorneys, Genie Harrison and Mia Munro. The suit alleges the Bass administration violated California labor laws and Crowley's First Amendment rights. 3 A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire while it burns homes at Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images Advertisement It asks for unspecified damages exceeding $25,000. The suit also flatly denies key accusations Bass leveled at Crowley in February: That she failed to conduct an after-action report, that she failed to deploy 1,000 spare firefighters and 40 spare firetrucks, and that she failed to notify the mayor of dangerous weather conditions.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
DeSantis awards posthumous Governor's Medal of Freedom to Jimmy Buffett, Florida lawmakers
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has posthumously awarded five notable Floridians with the Governor's Medal of Freedom, one of the state's highest honors. The awardees include the state's last Democratic governor, Buddy MacKay, who was a citrus farmer, policy wonk and diplomat; former Democratic governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, who was known for his 'workdays' when he took on the jobs of Floridians, from horse stall mucker to FBI agent; former Florida State University President John Thrasher, who also served as Republican speaker of the Florida House and chair of the Republican Party of Florida; former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a longtime South Florida Republican congressman who fought tirelessly for a free Cuba; and Jimmy Buffett, the state's beloved balladeer of an endless summer of warm tropical waves. 'I'm proud to recognize the legacies of these great Floridians,' DeSantis said in a written statement. 'Our state is better for their contributions, and we're proud they called Florida home." The five awardees 'exemplified what it means to be a great Floridian' and left a lasting impact on their state, the statement reads. Previous honorees include Bobby Bowden, the famed folksy Hall of Fame football coach of the FSU Seminoles, and Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor of Nazis at the Nuremberg war crimes trials. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Both parties expect a GOP map in Texas to clear a big hurdle in a national fight over redistricting
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday kicked off a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats that is expected to pass the chamber later in the day as part of a growing national redistricting battle. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business. State Rep. Todd Hunter, who wrote the legislation formally creating the new map, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed politicians to redraw districts for nakedly partisan purposes. 'The underlying goal of this plan is straight forward: improve Republican political performance,' Hunter, a Republican, said as debate began. Democrats responded that that was counter to the country's values. 'In a democracy, people choose their representatives,' said State Rep. Chris Turner, a Democrat. 'This bill flips that on its head and lets politicians in Washington DC choose their voters.' The Texas State Senate, also controlled by Republicans, needs to also pass the map and GOP Gov. Greg Abbott must sign them before they become official. The House debate was expected to be the lengthiest and greatest obstacle to the Republican push, but both parties expected the legislation to ultimately pass given the GOP's significant majority in the chamber. Democrats said they're preparing to challenge the new map in court. Some House Democrats returned from their flight on Monday, only to be assigned round-the-clock police escorts to ensure their attendance at Wednesday's session. Seven who refused were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream Tuesday night, led by Rep. Nicole Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in Fort Worth. Her staff removed a pillow, blanket and bag of personal effects early Wednesday. As lawmakers trickled into the chamber, several Democrats gave Collier a hug, said 'Thank you,' and took photos with her. In a social media post Tuesday night, Collier put a call from 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on her cellphone's speaker. Harris told Collier that, 'We are all in that room with you.' House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced as debate started that doors to the chamber were locked and any member leaving was required to have a permission slip before exting. Furious national Democrats have vowed payback for the Texas map, with California's Legislature poised to approve new maps adding more Democratic-friendly seats later this week. The map would still need to be approved by that state's voters in November. Normally, states redraw maps once a decade with new census figures. But Donald Trump is lobbying other conservative-controlled states like Indiana and Missouri to also try to squeeze new GOP-friendly seats out of their maps as his party prepares for a difficult midterm election next year. Democrats are energized by the fight in Texas As House session was about to begin, about two dozen demonstrators supporting Democrats sang 'Fighting for Democracy, we shall not be moved' outside the chamber. GOP House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that the public gallery will be cleared if there are disruptions. The public gallery was mostly empty as the session was gaveled in. But the 100 members required to do business were present. About 200 people have gathered in the Capitol's rotunda for a rally supporting Democrats, holding signs saying 'End Gerrymandering — Save Democracy,' 'Defend the Constitution' and 'Fascism is here.' Texas Democrats spent the day before the vote continuing to draw attention to the extraordinary lengths the Republicans who run the Legislature were going to ensure it takes place. Collier started it when she refused to sign what Democrats called the 'permission slip' required by Burrows to leave the House chamber, a half-page form allowing Department of Public Safety troopers to follow them. Collier spent Monday night and Tuesday on the House floor, where she set up a livestream while her Democratic colleagues outside had plainclothes officers following them to their offices and homes. Dallas-area Rep. Linda Garcia said she drove three hours home from Austin with an officer following her. When she went grocery shopping, he went down every aisle with her, pretending to shop, she said. As she spoke to The Associated Press by phone, two unmarked cars with officers inside were parked outside her home. 'It's a weird feeling,' she said. 'The only way to explain the entire process is: It's like I'm in a movie.' Dallas-area Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez joined the protest inside the House chamber and called it a 'slumber party for democracy,' and she said Democrats were holding strategy sessions on the floor. 'We are not criminals,' Houston Rep. Penny Morales Shaw said before joining Collier, too. Collier said having officers shadow her was an attack on her dignity and an attempt to control her movements. Republican leader says Collier 'is well within her rights' Burrows brushed off Collier's protest, saying he was focused on important issues, such as providing property tax relief and responding to last month's deadly floods. His statement Tuesday morning did not mention redistricting, and his office did not immediately respond to other Democrats joining Collier. 'Rep. Collier's choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules,' Burrows said. Under those rules, until Wednesday's vote, the chamber's doors were locked, and no member could leave 'without the written permission of the speaker.' Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back after they left the state Aug. 3, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to oust Wu and several other Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent. Democrats outside the Capitol reported different levels of monitoring and some said the officers watching them were friendly. But Austin Rep. Sheryl Cole said in a social media post that when she went on her morning walk Tuesday, the officer following her lost her on the trail, got angry and threatened to arrest her. Garcia said the officer who tailed her home also came in the grocery store when she went shopping with her 9-year-old son. 'I would imagine that this is the way it feels when you're potentially shoplifting and someone is assessing whether you're going to steal," she said. ___ Riccardi reported from Denver. John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.
