Christopher Boyce
Christopher Boyce (whistleblower) | |
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Born | 16 February 1953 |
Spouse | Kathleen Mills |
Exposed | 1975 Australian coup |
A code clerk turned whistleblower who also tried to see secret to the USSR, got caught, escaped and caught again. His exposure reveal how the CIA was involved in the 1975 Australian coup. |
Christopher Boyce was a code clerk employed with the large US defense contractor, TRW. After receiving misdirected documents that exposed the 1975 Australian coup he began stealing classified documents detailing how to decrypt secure US government message traffic and detailed specifications of the latest US spy satellites with the intention of delivering them to agents of the Soviet Union.
Career
Within months, Boyce was promoted to a highly sensitive position in TRW's "Black Vault" (classified communications center) with a top secret security clearance, where he worked with National Reconnaissance Office transmissions.
Trial
He was arrested and after a high publicity lawsuit, released a bestselling book about the exploits of "The Falcon and The Snowman" (himself and co-defendant, Andrew Daulton Lee.
Imprisonment
He was sentenced to 40 years for espionage. On January 21, 1980, when Christopher Boyce, with the help of fellow inmates, hid in a drainage hole, used a makeshift ladder and tin snips to cut through a barbed wire perimeter to escape from prison.
Revalations
Christopher Boyce's revelations included the fact that the CIA had infiltrated the Australian political and trade union elite and referred to the Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, as "our man Kerr". [1]