Taiwan prosecutors have pulled independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei into a widening Chinese espionage investigation tied to her own staff, a bad sign for her office and for public trust in Taiwan's legislature.

• Prosecutors questioned Kao Chin herself today as a defendant, with the case expected to be referred for further questioning tonight.
• Two of her aides were already jailed without visitation rights after prosecutors said they took money from China to build political networks inside Taiwan, a violation of national security law.
• A third aide tied to the case, Chang Chun-chieh, was out on bail wearing an electronic ankle monitor, but the device was found destroyed and he has vanished, triggering a manhunt.
• Chang faces a separate fraud case over misused taxpayer-funded assistant pay, showing the scandal has both a spying angle and a financial corruption angle.

Outlook: Authorities are actively searching for the missing aide, and the investigation into Kao Chin's office is likely to expand as prosecutors pursue both the espionage and fraud threads.