Franklin, whose expertise is Middle East affairs, pleaded guilty to passing secret information to Israeli diplomats and to members of the American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC). He said he was "frustrated" by the U.S. government's policy on a particular issue - apparently its stance on Iran - but that he never intented to harm the United States.
He said that he hoped to influence American policy by sharing military information with the lobbyists, in the hope that they would pass it on to the National Security Council.
Franklin also admitted having met with Naor Gilon, Rafi Barak and a third Israeli diplomat in Washington. He said he shared information with them regarding weapons tests in the Middle East, military activities in Iraq and other matters. During the court hearing yesterday, Franklin said that he assumed the information was already known to Israel, and that he received far more information than he gave.
Franklin will be sentenced on Jan. 20. Though the charges carry maximum sentences of 25 years, Franklin is hoping that his consent to testify in a future trial against the two AIPAC lobbyists - Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman - will gain him some consideration. In addition, the plea agreement calls for Franklin to forfeit his government pension, and not to speak with the press until three years after he leaves prison.
AIPAC, a lobbying organization for the Israeli government, fired the two lobbyists back in April, when the story first broke, and has reportedly cooperated with the government investigation. Rosen and Weissman were indicted this summer on charges of conspiring to receive and transfer classified information, and their trial is set to begin in early January. It is assumed that the plea bargain arrangement with Franklin will make it easier to prosecute them.
This is not certain, though. Franklin is expected to testify that the information he shared with the lobbyists was classified, and that he told them as much. However, at the hearing yesterday, he began detailing one of the documents in question, until he was stopped by lawyers warning him that he was revealing classified information. This would appear to indicate that he was not aware of the level of secrecy of the documents in question.
In any event, a lawyer for Rosen said he does not think the plea bargain will affect his client's case. "The actions of a government worker in dealing with classified information," he said, "is simply not the same as that of a private person, whether he is a reporter or a lobbyist."
At a previous court hearing last month, Rosen's lawyers complained they were not given access to classified documents used by the prosecution.
The Israeli Embassy released this statement in response to Franklin's confession: "We have full confidence in our diplomats, who are dedicated and professional and act in accordance with diplomatic procedure."
He said that he hoped to influence American policy by sharing military information with the lobbyists, in the hope that they would pass it on to the National Security Council.
Franklin also admitted having met with Naor Gilon, Rafi Barak and a third Israeli diplomat in Washington. He said he shared information with them regarding weapons tests in the Middle East, military activities in Iraq and other matters. During the court hearing yesterday, Franklin said that he assumed the information was already known to Israel, and that he received far more information than he gave.
Franklin will be sentenced on Jan. 20. Though the charges carry maximum sentences of 25 years, Franklin is hoping that his consent to testify in a future trial against the two AIPAC lobbyists - Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman - will gain him some consideration. In addition, the plea agreement calls for Franklin to forfeit his government pension, and not to speak with the press until three years after he leaves prison.
AIPAC, a lobbying organization for the Israeli government, fired the two lobbyists back in April, when the story first broke, and has reportedly cooperated with the government investigation. Rosen and Weissman were indicted this summer on charges of conspiring to receive and transfer classified information, and their trial is set to begin in early January. It is assumed that the plea bargain arrangement with Franklin will make it easier to prosecute them.
This is not certain, though. Franklin is expected to testify that the information he shared with the lobbyists was classified, and that he told them as much. However, at the hearing yesterday, he began detailing one of the documents in question, until he was stopped by lawyers warning him that he was revealing classified information. This would appear to indicate that he was not aware of the level of secrecy of the documents in question.
In any event, a lawyer for Rosen said he does not think the plea bargain will affect his client's case. "The actions of a government worker in dealing with classified information," he said, "is simply not the same as that of a private person, whether he is a reporter or a lobbyist."
At a previous court hearing last month, Rosen's lawyers complained they were not given access to classified documents used by the prosecution.
The Israeli Embassy released this statement in response to Franklin's confession: "We have full confidence in our diplomats, who are dedicated and professional and act in accordance with diplomatic procedure."