WHY DID AMES COMMIT ESPIONAGE?
44. Ames states that the primary motivating factor for his decision to commit espionage was his desperation regarding financial indebtedness he incurred at the time of his separation from his first wife, their divorce settlement and his cohabitation with Rosario. He also says that several otherwise inhibiting “barriers” had been lowered by a) the opportunity to meet Soviet officials under Agency sanction, b) the lack of concern that he would soon be subject to a reinvestigation polygraph, c) his fading respect for the value of his Agency work as a result of lengthy discussions with Soviet officials, and d) his belief that the rules that governed others did not apply to him. Ames claims he conceived of a one-time “scam” directed against the Soviets to obtain the $50,000 he believed he needed to satisfy his outstanding debt in return for information about Agency operations he believed were actually controlled by the Soviets. He recognized subsequently that there was no turning back and a
44. Ames states that the primary motivating factor for his decision tocommit espionage was his desperation regarding financial indebtedness heincurred at the time of his separation from his first wife, theirdivorce settlement and his cohabitation with Rosario. He also says thatseveral otherwise inhibiting “barriers” had been lowered by a) theopportunity to meet Soviet officials under Agency sanction, b) the lackof concern that he would soon be subject to a reinvestigation polygraph,c) his fading respect for the value of his Agency work as a result oflengthy discussions with Soviet officials, and d) his belief that therules that governed others did not apply to him. Ames claims heconceived of a one-time “scam” directed against the Soviets to obtainthe $50,000 he believed he needed to satisfy his outstanding debt inreturn for information about Agency operations he believed were actuallycontrolled by the Soviets. He recognized subsequently that there was noturning back and acted to protec
