Final answer:
Alger Hiss, a former State Department official, was accused of espionage but was only convicted of perjury due to the statute of limitations on espionage charges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual in question who was only convicted of perjury is Alger Hiss, a former State Department official. The incident unfolded when a former communist spy, Whittaker Chambers, accused Hiss of being a coconspirator in espionage for the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Chambers provided microfilmed documents, known as the "pumpkin papers," which he alleged were typed and passed to the Soviets by Hiss. Due to the statute of limitations, Hiss couldn't be charged with espionage, but he was convicted of perjury for lying about his involvement. This case heightened American fears of Communist infiltration and contributed to the era of McCarthyism.