The military trial of five alleged 9/11 conspirators could be in limbo amidst allegations of FBI spying on the defense team. FBI agents questioned a contractor working as a security guard for one of the suspect’s lawyers earlier this month. The contractor was forced to sign a confidentiality form, a move attorneys say turns him into a de facto informant. The military judge overseeing pretrial hearings has opened the way for an inquiry. Prosecutors had hoped for jury selection to begin early next year, but the defense says the trials could now be delayed until 2017. Attorney James Connell said only one person appears to have come under FBI questioning so far.

James Connell: “Our preliminary investigation leads us to hope that it may be confined — you know, that we may have nipped this in the bud just after it started. Is that going to turn out to be true? I don’t know. But so far, we don’t have information that the investigation has spread beyond Mr. [Ramzi] bin al-Shibh’s defense security officer.”

The spying allegation follows previous claims by the attorneys that Guantánamo Bay prison officials have monitored their communications.