Reality Leigh Winner Arrested

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A young federal contractor was arrested for allegedly leaking information classified as secret to a media outlet, the first person to be charged with this type of crime since President Donald Trump's arrival at the White House.

Reality Leigh Winner, 25, who worked for the Pluribus International Corporation in Georgia, is accused of "removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to the media."

According to CNN, Winner allegedly leaked a classified report from the National Security Agency (NSA) to The Intercept website about an alleged cyberattack by Russian military intelligence to various entities related to the past presidential elections.

Winner, who was arrested on June 3, admitted that she intentionally leaked the document, according to authorities. The Intercept communications director Vivian Siu said they received the classified document anonymously.

The young woman, who faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, did not plead guilty Monday to her appearance in court. The judge will determine during a hearing that will take place this Thursday if she is released on bail.

"I think she is trying to be brave for me," the mother of the accused, Billie Winner, told CNN, who was surprised by the problem her daughter is involved in. "She has never given me any sign that she was in favor of that," she added. "I do not know how to explain it".

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asked for compassion for Winner, who he praised for publicizing the secrets of the intelligence services.