▁a ▁suspect . ▁▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 6 , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁the ▁W - 8 8 ▁case , ▁" Ch ina ▁Sto le ▁N uc lear ▁Sec rets ▁for ▁Bomb s , ▁U . S . ▁A ides ▁Say ," ▁again ▁without ▁naming ▁the ▁suspect . ▁Government ▁officials ▁had ▁requested ▁the ▁newspaper ▁delay ▁publication , ▁and ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁held ▁back ▁publication ▁for ▁one ▁day , ▁saying ▁it ▁would ▁consider ▁a ▁further ▁delay ▁if ▁asked ▁personally ▁by ▁the ▁F . B . I . ▁director , ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁act ▁on ▁the ▁request . ▁▁ ▁The ▁F . B . I . ▁interview ed ▁Dr . ▁Lee ▁on ▁March ▁ 5 , ▁and ▁he ▁cons ented ▁to ▁a ▁search ▁of ▁his ▁office . ▁On ▁March ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Lee ▁was ▁fired ▁from ▁his ▁job ▁at ▁Los ▁Al amos ▁National ▁Labor atory ▁on ▁accounts ▁of ▁failure ▁to ▁maintain ▁class ified ▁information ▁secure ly . ▁ ▁However , ▁F BI ▁investig ators ▁soon ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁design ▁data ▁the ▁P RC ▁had ▁obtained ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁Los ▁Al amos ▁Lab , ▁because ▁it ▁related ▁to ▁information ▁that ▁would ▁only ▁have ▁been ▁available ▁to ▁someone ▁like ▁a ▁so - called ▁" down stream " ▁contract or , ▁meaning ▁one ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁war head ▁production ▁process , ▁and ▁this ▁information ▁was ▁only ▁created ▁after ▁the ▁weapon ▁design ▁left ▁the ▁L AN L . ▁ ▁Even ▁though ▁this ▁left ▁W