Good morning, Chairman Shelby, Senator Leahy, Senator Bryan, and members of the committee. Thank you for inviting me to appear today to discuss the investigation and prosecution of Dr. Wen Ho Lee. This is my first appearance before these committees, so I would first like to take a moment to introduce myself to you. Statement of US Attorney Norman Bay
on
Oversight on the Wen Ho Lee Casebefore a joint hearing of
the Senate Judiciary Committee
and the
Senate Select Committee on IntelligenceSeptember 26, 2000
As you may know, on September 8th, 2000, the United States Senate confirmed me as United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. In particular, I would like to thank Senator Jeff Bingaman and Senator Pete Domenici, who supported my nomination. I would also like to thank the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving my nomination as United States Attorney, as well as members of the United States Senate for voting to confirm my nomination. It was a great honor, indeed, for a career federal prosecutor, who also happens to be the son of immigrants.
My one regret is that this great honor was not one that my parents were alive to see. I can't tell you much about myself without telling you just a little bit about my parents. I owe them so much. My parents left China after World War II and came to the United States in search of freedom and in search of a better life. They got married here and raised a family with eight children. I have three brothers and four sisters. They loved this country and they became naturalized citizens. My father worked for the United States Air Force, and like many immigrants, my parents stressed the value of education. They were convinced that it was the way for us to get ahead in the United States. All eight of their kids have college degrees, and in addition, we collectively hold three Masters degrees, two PhDs, two MBAs, a JD and an MD. It's kind of an alphabet soup of degrees.
In 1972, my family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. My dad was working at Kirtland Air Force Base. In 1978, I graduated from high school in New Mexico, and then I went to Dartmouth College, where I was a junior year Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in 1982. I then went to Harvard Law School, where I graduated with honors cum laude, and was on the Board of Student Advisers.
Since law school, for the past 14 years, I have spent my life in public service. It has been a rewarding life, for it has given me a chance to help make a difference. From 1986 to 1987, I clerked for the Honorable Otto R. Skoppel Jr. (sp) of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Portland, Oregon. From 1987 to 1989, I was an attorney adviser at the Office of Legal Adviser at the State Department in Washington, D.C. In 1989, Jay Stephens, then the United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, hired me as an assistant United States Attorney. So began my career as a federal prosecutor, a job I have always been proud to have.
In 1995 I returned to New Mexico for family reasons. I became an assistant United States Attorney in the Violent Crimes Section in the Office in New Mexico. In 1997, I became supervisor of the Violent Crimes Section. I have received an award from the Justice Department, and an award from the Treasury Department, and I've also been an instructor at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, where I've taught Trial Advocacy and Juvenile Prosecutions. On March 8, 2000, I was appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and was confirmed on September 8th, 2000.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman, once again for inviting me to appear before your committees.