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Twitter Worker Accused of Spying for Saudi Arabia Heads to Trial



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SAN FRANCISCO — While working at Twitter from 2013 to 2015, Ahmad Abouammo was responsible for helping celebrities, journalists and other notable figures in the Middle East promote their Twitter accounts. He handled requests for Twitter’s coveted blue verification badges and arranged tours of the San Francisco headquarters.But the Justice Department says he misused his access to Twitter user data, gathering the personal information of political dissidents and passing it to Saudi Arabia in exchange for a luxury watch and hundreds of thousands of dollars.Mr. Abouammo, who is charged with acting as an agent of a foreign power inside the United States, committing wire fraud and laundering money, is set to stand trial this week in federal court in San Francisco.“We look forward to vindicating Mr. Abouammo and for him to have his day in court,” said Angela Chuang, a lawyer representing him. The government expects Mr. Abouammo’s legal …

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