An Orthodox Jewish Army engineer who was cleared of spying for Israel sued the U.S. Defense and Justice departments Thursday, saying they made false security claims to prevent him from seeking compensation.

David Tenenbaum and his wife, Madeline, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Detroit, calling the secrecy claim "frivolous" and an "abuse of power."

In addition to the government, the lawsuit names former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and several other individuals as defendants.

A spokesman for the Defense Department's inspector general declined comment Thursday on the Tenenbaums' lawsuit, their second since 1998 when they sued over religious discrimination.

The Pentagon put Tenenbaum on paid leave in 1997 while it investigated whether he was supplying secrets to Israel. Investigators cleared him, and he still works at the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command in Warren.