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WEBVTT , IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.IT'S THE INTERNATIONAL SCANDALWE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUTSINCE NOVEMBER.RUSSIA'S POSSIBLE MEDDLING INOUR ELECTION.SHELLY: BUT DID YOU KNOW THEREWAS ANOTHER HUGE, RUSSIANSHAKEUP THAT STARRED A NATIVENEW MEXICAN?HE WAS ACCUSED OF BEING A SPY,AND SELLING CLASSIFIED SECRETSTO THE KGB.ANCHOR ROYALE DA SHOWS YOU THISSTORY OF ESPIONAGE FROM THEROUNDHOUSE.>> IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, PERIOD. ROYALE: EDWARD LEE HOWARD ALWAYSMAINTAINED, HE WAS NO TRAITOR.NO ONE IN SANTA FE SUSPECTED THEUNPRETENTIOUS LEGISLATIVE AIDEWAS HIDING ANYTHING, ESPECIALLYTHAT HE USED TO WORK FOR THECIA.HOWARD, WHO WAS BORN INALAMOGORDO, DID TWO YEARS OF CIATRAINING.HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE ON ACOVERT MISSION, BUT WAS ABRUPTLYFIRED FOR FAILING LIE DETECTORTESTS.>> I GAVE THEM MY HEART AND IWAS TOLD TO TURN IN MYRESIGNATION AND TAKE THE BUSHOME. ROYALE: ADMITTEDLY DISGRUNTLED,HE MOVED BACK TO NEW MEXICO.THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS HOWARDRETALIATED, GIVING CLASSIFIEINFORMATION TO THE SOVIETS WHILEWORKING FOR OUR STATE'SLEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE.A WARRANT WAS ISSUED CHARGINGHIM WITH ESPIONAGEBEFORE HE COULD BE ARRESTED,HOWARD OUTWITTED THE FBI ANDVANISHED FLEEING TO MOSCOW.>> HE WAS SOMEBODY WHO WASTAUGHT WELL BY THE CIA, AND HEUSED IT AGAINST HIS COUNTRY.HE'S A TRAITOR. >> I HAVE NOTHING BUT DISDAIN, IDESPISE WHAT HE DID TO HISCOUNTRY. ROYALE: TARGET 7 INTERVIEWEDHOWARD JUST OUTSIDE MOSCOW.TO GET HIS VERSION OF WHATHAPPENED.HOWARD SAYS HE TALKED TO THESOVIETS AFTER DEFECTING TOMOSCOW WHERE HE SOUGHT AND GOTREFUGE ONLY TELLING THEM ABOUTTHE CIA'S PERSONNEL POLICIES.>> I'VE REFUSED TO OPENLY ATTACKMY COUNTRY, BECAUSE I LOVE THEPEOPLE.I HAVE A WAR WITH A FEWINSTITUTION, BUT THAT'S NOREASON TO HURT MY PEOPLE. >> GIVING NATIONAL DEFENSEINFORMATION TO A FOREIGN POWER,NOTHING.I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING, THATWOULD ENDANGER MY FRIENDS,FAMILY, RELATIVES IN THE UNITEDSTATES. ROYALE: LOCAL LEADERS DISAGREE.>> HE REVEALED HOW ANINTELLIGENCE NETWORK WORKSWITHIN THE SOVIET UNION TO THEPOINT WHERE ANY OF OURINTELLIGENCE COMING OUT OF THESOVIET UNION BECAME USELESS. ROYALE: HE WAS NEVER PUT ONTRIAL IN THE U.S. HE DIED IN 2002 IN MOSCOW.SOME REPORTS SAY HE FELL,BREAKING HIS NECK.HIS DEATH MARKING AN END TO ASPY CASE THAT SENT SHOCKWAVESAROUND THE WORLD.ROYALE DA, KOAT, ACTION 7 NEWS.DOUG: HOWARD LEFT A WIFE ANDINFANT SON BEHIND, WHEN HE LEFTSANTA FE IN 1985.THEY MOVED TO MINNESOTA.TARGET 7 TRACKED HOWARD TORUSSIA.TO SEE THAT STORY, HEAD TO

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Edward Lee Howard was accused of being a spy and selling classified secrets to the KGB, but he always maintained he was no traitor. No one in Santa Fe suspected the unpretentious legislative aide was hiding anything, especially that he used to work for the CIA. Howard was born in Alamogordo and did two years of CIA training. He was about to leave on a covert mission, but was abruptly fired for failing lie detector tests.“I gave them my heart and I was told to turn in my resignation and take the bus home,” Howard said. Admittedly disgruntled, he moved back to New Mexico.The government claims Howard retaliated, giving classified information to the soviets while working for our state's legislative finance committee.A warrant was issued charging him with espionage. Before he could be arrested, Howard outwitted the FBI, vanished and fled to Moscow.“He was somebody who was taught well by the CIA and he used it against his country. He's a traitor,” former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. "I have nothing but disdain, I despise what he did to his country,” President George W. Bush said. Target 7 interviewed Howard just outside Moscow to get his version of what happened.Howard said he talked to the soviets after defecting to Moscow, where he sought and got refuge. He only told them about the CIA’s personnel policies. “I've refused to openly attack my country, because I love the people. I have a war with a few institutions but that's no reason to hurt my people,” Howard said. “Giving national defense information to a foreign power, nothing. I've never done anything that would endanger my friends, family and relatives in the United States."But local leaders disagreed. "He revealed how an intelligence network works within the Soviet Union to the point where any of our intelligence coming out of the Soviet Union became useless,” Richardson said. He was never put on trial in the United States and died in 2002 in Moscow.Some reports say he fell, breaking his neck. His death marked an end to a spy case that sent shock waves around the world. Howard left a wife and infant son behind when he fled Santa Fe in 1985. They moved to Minnesota.