Refusing a Bribe from the CIA

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore described a botched CIA operation in 1960. According to Lee, a U.S. agent attempted to bribe his way into Singapore’s intelligence network but was caught and imprisoned. Lee demanded $33 million in economic aid for the agent’s release, but the U.S. refused and instead offered $3.3 million as a personal bribe to Lee and his ruling party. When the Kennedy Administration took over, it issued an apology, rejecting under-the-table deals. In response, Lee released the agent without fanfare, though the incident left a lasting impression of insult and mistrust. Initially, American officials dismissed his account of the CIA episode as fabrication, prompting Lee to reveal a copy of an apology letter from Secretary of State Dean Rusk in 1961. Faced with this evidence, the U.S. was forced to acknowledge the incident.