(NewsNation) — The former attorney for the infamous DC Madam, Montgomery Blair Sibley, raised concerns over national security following the recent bust of a high-end prostitution ring.
This week's brothel bust, exposed after years of investigation by federal agents, implicated individuals from various professions, including doctors, lawyers, accountants, elected officials, high-tech and pharmaceutical executives, military officers, government contractors, professors, and scientists.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who became known as the "DC Madam," operated a similar high-end prostitution ring dating back to 1993. Sibley, who represented Palfrey, claims that throughout the 13-year operation, there were approximately 10,000 distinct clients.
The names of these clients, much like those involved in the recent prostitution ring bust, remain undisclosed, raising concerns about potential national security implications.
In an interview with Leland Vittert on “On Balance,” Sibley said the power lies in possessing the names of these high-profile individuals, providing the opportunity for manipulation and coercion.
The fear is that some of the people involved in the operation could have extracted information from clients with security clearances, to then engage in blackmail or leak national security information, Sibley said.
Vittert questioned the former attorney about the protection afforded to the clients, considering the potential gravity of the situation. Sibley stated that the protection of these individuals may be rooted in a lack of respect for women and a tendency to overlook their exploitation.
“I just have to come back to the simple answer that we live in a very misogynist society,” Sibley said.
Han Lee of Cambridge, Massachusetts; James Lee of Torrance, California; and Junmyung Lee of Dedham, Massachusetts, are accused of operating the interstate prostitution network with brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.
The three defendants have been charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity, according to the Justice Department.
The accused allegedly rented high-end apartment complexes with rents as high as $3,660 as brothel locations. They’re also accused of coordinating the women’s airline travel and transportation.
The defendants allegedly advertised their network on two websites offering appointments with women in greater Boston or eastern Virginia.
“The websites listed the height, weight and bust size of women available for appointments and depicted nude and/or semi-nude photographs of each. The women listed as available on the websites updated frequently, with updates to include ‘coming soon’ or ‘open’ to reflect an impending arrival of new women arriving in the area,” according to a news release from the Justice Department.
Sex buyers were charged anywhere from $350 to $600 per hour depending on services and paid in cash.
“Over the course of the investigation, a wide array of buyers were identified, including, but not limited to, politicians, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, scientists and accountants,” according to the Justice Department.
The investigation into suspected sex buyers is ongoing.
NewsNation writer Sean Noone contributed to this report.