The future of Julian Assange has just become a bit less assured.
CNN claimed on Thursday that US authorities had drafted charges to seek the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, citing “officials familiar with the case.”
The allegations and the case’s complete status are now unknown, but the news does not bode well for Assange.
An investigation of Assange and WikiLeaks by the US Justice Department extends back many years, at least to 2010, when the site released diplomatic cables and military secrets seized by Chelsea Manning.
The Justice Department did not prosecute WikiLeaks under Obama because charging a news organisation for releasing secret material would be equivalent to prosecuting a news organisation for publishing classified information. It also had to contend with First Amendment interpretations and the fact that other publications, including the New York Times, had published content.
The matter has been reexamined under Trump’s department, despite the fact that it was never properly closed. According to the Washington Post, prosecutors have produced a brief that contains prospective charges of conspiracy, theft of federal property, and violation of the Espionage Act. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Assange’s arrest was a “priority” on Thursday.
In a tweet, Wikileaks replied to the news by encouraging fans to donate money to his legal defence.
It’s unclear if prosecutors are looking into WikiLeaks’ involvement in exposing DNC emails or those of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, both of which were allegedly stolen by the Russian government.
Chelsea Manning is set to be released from jail on May 17, 2017, after President Barack Obama cleared the way in January. The revelation came only days after WikiLeaks vowed that if Assange was given amnesty, he would submit to extradition to the United States. That tweet, which Assange may now regret, remains online. However, Assange, who is currently living with his cat in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, swiftly recanted his allegations.
WikiLeaks has just released a fresh document dump targeted at exposing the CIA’s hacking methods. According to the report, the CIA has access to encrypted WhatsApp and Signal conversations, as well as the ability to hack into your automobile (but not your microwave).
WikiLeaks “ordered Chelsea Manning to intercept particular classified material, and it predominantly focuses on the United States,” CIA Director Mike Pompeo stated last week. It was a “non-state hostile intelligence agency,” he said.
