A former National Security Agency contractor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to leaking classified information.
Reality Winner, the first person prosecuted by the Trump administration on charges of leaking classified information, pleaded guilty https://t.co/Wm76bE3G0p
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 26, 2018
Reality Winner, 26, was arrested and charged last June with leaking a top-secret document about the Russian hacking to a news outlet.
She faces more than 5 years in prison – 63 months – if a judge approves the recommended sentencing.
BREAKING: Reality Winner pleads guilty to leaking classified NSA report about Russian hacking of state election systems in 2016. Would serve 63 months in prison if judge approves the recommended sentence. https://t.co/DhWrhZ5aqe
— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) June 26, 2018
Reality Leigh Winner, who legally changed her name from Sara, allegedly stole a top-secret document from the National Security Agency in Georgia. The Intercept published the May 5 document detailing Russian efforts to hack voting in the U.S. days before the 2016 election.
Winner is reportedly a Bernie Sanders supporter, often criticizes President Donald Trump and supports some liberal progressive causes such as Black Lives Matter.
On her Twitter account, @Reezlie, and listed as Sara Winner, Winner goes after Trump and his stance on refugees, says to “burn crosses, not flags,” and tweets at rap star Kanye West that he should “make a shirt that says, ‘being white is terrorism.’”
The Department of Justice last June announced the charges against Winner.
Julian Assange, founded of WikiLeaks, at the time tweeted that Winner “must be supported.”
“She is a young women accused of courage in trying to help us know,” he wrote.
Others took to Twitter to condone Winner, saying she is a “traitor.”
Guardian reporter Jon Swaine said Winner is a former U.S. Air Force linguist “who speaks Pashto, Farsi [and] Dari.”
