Harvard professor convicted of lying about China ties, hiding income

Harvard professor Charles Lieber was found guilty by a federal jury Tuesday of lying to the U.S. government about his close ties to China.

One of America's top chemists, Lieber was found guilty on two counts of making false statements and four tax-related offenses, according to The Harvard Crimson. 

Federal prosecutors said the professor mislead investigators about his ties to China's Thousand Talents Program and through his tax returns in an effort to conceal his financial earnings and add a Nobel prize to his lengthy list of achievements.  

The Boston jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Lieber guilty on all six charges.  

The Thousand Talents Program is a Chinese government initiative that seeks to recruit experts in science fields. Lieber signed a contract with the Wuhan Institute of Technology to be paid $50,000 a month, plus up to $150,000 in living expenses and more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab in Wuhan. Lieber failed to report this income and lied about his connections.

The Biden Department of Justice is under intense pressure to end the China Initiative, which is the program that caught Lieber. Just the News reported that activists argue the initiative targets Asians through racial profiling.