Whistleblower trials for espionage under scrutiny

Mike Masnick in techdirt, July 29, 2022, says the arrest of NSA intelligence contractor Reality Winner for espionage was a travesty. She should have been viewed as a whistleblower for leaking information that enabled the Federal Election Assistance Commission to help secure the 2018 midterm election. Her defense was weakened by not being allowed to discuss the context for her leaking the documents. Editor’s note: Winner was sentenced to 63 months and served four years in prison and five months on home release.

Another whistleblower, Jeffrey Sterling, Common Dreams, July 31, 2022, criticizes the U.S. government for pursuing the extradition of Julian Assange to try him under the Espionage Act. Sterling backs a law recently introduced in Congress that in espionage cases requires the government to prove an intent to harm the U.S. and allow defendants to testify about why they leaked information. Editor’s note: Sterling filed a employment discrimination suit against the CIA considered a threat to national security. He served two and a half years in prison for violating the Espionage Act.

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