▁a ▁suspect ▁in ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁class ified ▁nuclear - related ▁documents ▁from ▁Los ▁Al amos . ▁Richard son ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁for ▁his ▁handling ▁of ▁the ▁esp ion age ▁inqu iry ▁by ▁not ▁test ifying ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁Congress ▁sooner . ▁Richard son ▁was ▁less ▁than ▁truth ful ▁in ▁his ▁response ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁waiting ▁to ▁un cover ▁more ▁information ▁before ▁speaking ▁to ▁Congress . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Lee ▁was ▁arrested , ▁ind icted ▁on ▁ 5 9 ▁counts , ▁and ▁ja iled ▁in ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement ▁without ▁b ail ▁for ▁ 2 7 8 ▁days ▁until ▁September ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁ple a ▁b arg ain ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁Lee ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁time ▁served ▁after ▁the ▁government ' s ▁case ▁against ▁him ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁proven . ▁He ▁was ▁ultimately ▁charged ▁with ▁only ▁one ▁count ▁of ▁m ish and ling ▁sensitive ▁documents ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁require ▁pre - tri al ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement , ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁ 5 8 ▁counts ▁were ▁dropped . ▁ ▁President ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁issued ▁a ▁public ▁ap ology ▁to ▁Lee ▁over ▁his ▁treatment ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁during ▁the ▁investigation . ▁Lee ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁to ▁gain ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁public ▁officials ▁who ▁had ▁le aked ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁journal ists ▁before ▁charges ▁had ▁been ▁file d ▁against ▁him .