US President Donald J. Trump (C)( boards his motorcade to go golfing with Senator Lindsey Graham(R-SC) to go golfing at Trump National Golf Course in Sterling Virginia, USA, 07 October 2018. EPA-EFE/Chris Kleponis / POOL Yujing Zhang appeared in West Palm Beach court, after having been arrested March 30 for illegally entering Trump’s resort and lying to a Secret Service agent. She may be formally indicted as early as this week, prosecutors said.
Zhang’s possession of two passports, four cell phones and a USB drive that allegedly contained malware, raised concerns about security at Trump’s “winter White House” and whether foreign governments are attempting to infiltrate the property to gain information. Congressional Democrats asked the FBI to evaluate the national-security risks at Mar-a-Lago following Zhang’s arrest.
Trump defended the security measures at Mar-a-Lago last week, calling the Zhang intrusion “a fluke.” He said there are “very good” controls in place.
Zhang’s two-hour bail hearing Monday failed to shed much light on whether she tried to get into Mar-a-Lago to collect information, or was just trying to hob nob with South Florida’s elite in the presence of the U.S. president, who was at a golf course near the resort when Zhang was arrested.
Prosecutors urged the judge to keep her in custody, saying she’s a flight risk with no ties to the U.S.
She “lies to everyone she encounters,” prosecutor Rolando Garcia told the judge.
More on Mar-a-Lago security here
In addition to the electronics she carried into the resort, Zhang also had a signal detector, five SIM cards and more than $7,600 in U.S. currency in her room at the Colony Palm Beach hotel, about two miles north of Mar-a-Lago, Garcia said. A signal detector is used to detect hidden video or audio-recording devices.
Garcia noted that Zhang isn’t facing espionage or related charges at this time, but the government continues to look into that possibility.
Zhang entered the courtroom in handcuffs, wearing a navy blue prison-issued jump suit. She took notes during the hearing.
Her lawyer, public defender Robert Adler, said there were innocent explanations for many of the allegations, including having two passports. Zhang’s valid U.S. visa was stamped in an expired passport, which she needed to carry in addition to her valid passport, Adler said.
She also showed all the electronics she carried when entering the resort, including when she went through a metal detector, Adler said. And he questioned the Secret Service’s allegation that the USB drive was infected with malware.
Secret Service agent Samuel Ivanovich testified Monday that another agent put the USB drive into his computer and it immediately began to install files. The agent shut down the computer to prevent a possible infection, but Ivanovich couldn’t identify the malware. The device is still being analyzed, Ivanovich said.
Adler also told the judge the Secret Service interviewed Zhang for more than two hours at Mar-a-Lago and two more at a Secret Service facility before providing her with a Mandarin translator. In court documents, Ivanovich said Zhang appeared to comprehend English well.
Zhang made her way into Mar-a-Lago, first by claiming she wanted to go to the pool, and then that she was attending a social event, according to court documents. A receptionist tipped off the Secret Service because no social events were scheduled that day. DM