The U.S. State Department says a former U.S. diplomat and expert on Pakistan is being targeted in a federal counterintelligence probe.
The FBI is investigating Robin Raphel – a one-time U.S. ambassador to Tunisia who most recently worked as a senior adviser on civilian aid to Pakistan.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki says Raphel’s employment with the U.S. State Department technically ended on November 2. Her security clearance was revoked in October.
Raphel retired from the U.S. foreign service in 2005 but was hired as a contractor in 2009 to oversee development aid and civilian assistance to Pakistan.
“The Washington Post” reports that the investigation is of a type normally associated with spying for a foreign country, but the exact nature of the probe remains unclear.
It also was not clear if the case was related to Raphel's work in Pakistan.