Julian Assange charged with violating Espionage Act in 18-count indictment

[jimnyc]

This will be quite the case when/if it finally reaches our shores. Saying that the original charge was a "placeholder" of sorts was an understatement.

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Julian Assange charged with violating Espionage Act in 18-count indictment for WikiLeaks disclosures

Julian Assange was charged Thursday in an 18-count superseding indictment for his role in orchestrating the 2010 WikiLeaks disclosures, including charges that accuse him of violating the Espionage Act.

According to the Justice Department, the new charges from a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia allege that "Assange's actions risked serious harm to United States national security to the benefit of our adversaries."

The charges include an allegation of conspiracy between Manning and Assange to obtain, receive and disclose national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act, a rare act by prosecutors against an individual who never served inside government.

Reacting to the indictment Thursday, Assange's attorney in Washington Barry Pollack said Assange was being charged "for encouraging sources to provide him truthful information and for publishing that information."

"The fig leaf that this is merely about alleged computer hacking has been removed," Pollack said. "These unprecedented charges demonstrate the gravity of the threat the criminal prosecution of Julian Assange poses to all journalists in their endeavor to inform the public about actions that have taken by the U.S. government."

According to the DOJ announcement, Assange faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each charge with the exception of one charge related to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.

Assange was previously indicted in April on a single-count conspiracy to commit computer intrusion charge for his role coordinating with Manning.

Legal experts at the time said that indictment could be a placeholder in lieu of more extensive charges that could be pursued at a later date. It was also interpreted as the government attempting to dodge potential First Amendment issues by not addressing Assange's self-proclaimed status as a publisher.

Rest - https://www.yahoo.com/gma/julian-ass...195800926.html

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Well, looks like Pamala Anderson is going to have to hunt for a different man. That dude will never see the light of day again.

[STTAB]

I can't wait to see the evidence. I think the guy is scum, but that' not the same as being a criminal, and he has always maintained that WikiLeaks just released what they were given, that they didn't get the information themselves, or pay anyone else to do so. If that is the case, they didn't do anything that the NY Times, or CNN, or FoxNews, or any other media outlet did and still does, and in fact according to SCOTUS have a right to do, publish classified material that they are privy to.