Historical treason lessons clash with modern leniency for officials

Drawing on 18th-century examples, the column notes that early leaders imposed severe penalties for betrayal, including executions and life sentences for spies. It points to contemporary instances such as John Harold Rogers, a former senior Federal Reserve adviser, who was sentenced to 38 months after leaking sensitive data, and former Senator Bob Menendez, convicted of acting as a foreign agent and sentenced to 11 years.

In contrast, Representative Henry Cuellar escaped prosecution after receiving a presidential pardon. The author argues that the government loses billions to fraud each year, creating opportunities for corruption, and cites the case of former CIA officer David Rush, whose unauthorized removal of $40 million in gold went unnoticed. The piece concludes that the erosion of strict accountability threatens the Republic’s ability to deter treason and corruption.