"What they were working on would certainly, without a doubt, be a target of a hostile foreign intelligence service like Russia or China. It could be Iran, could be Pakistan."
Among the claims were accusations that Patel had reacted dramatically to a technical issue, believing he was being fired, and that his leadership style had raised concerns among colleagues.
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee, who was nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2019, ruled that the filings should no longer remain under seal.
His remarks come as the Department of Homeland Security investigates two fatal incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota.
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the contrast between Somalia and Somaliland is especially relevant as details of the fraud cases emerge.