As Twitchy reported not long ago, The Intercept started a buzz on Twitter with its write-up of a newly completed NSA report detailing Russian efforts to hack local election officials using stolen data.
As some noted, those efforts had been reported on last fall; what was new was the leak of the NSA’s report, and it looks like at least one person will get a shock out it — the government contractor who’s being charged with leaking classified materials to a news outlet.
DOJ just announced charges against someone who gave classified intel to a news outlet. Description matches 5/5/17 NSA report… pic.twitter.com/4gioMhFKJn
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/871839766949629952
BREAKING: US DOJ charges federal contractor with "removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet."
— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) June 5, 2017
Affidavit: Gov't began an internal review after "news outlet" alerted to the leak in order to confirm it ahead of reporting on the docs.
— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) June 5, 2017
The Justice Department issued a press release Monday:
A criminal complaint was filed in the Southern District of Georgia today charging Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a federal contractor from Augusta, Georgia, with removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 793(e).
Winner was arrested by the FBI at her home on Saturday, June 3, and appeared in federal court in Augusta this afternoon.
…
Winner is a contractor with Pluribus International Corporation assigned to a U.S. government agency facility in Georgia. She has been employed at the facility since on or about February 13, and has held a Top Secret clearance during that time. On or about May 9, Winner printed and improperly removed classified intelligence reporting, which contained classified national defense information from an intelligence community agency, and unlawfully retained it. Approximately a few days later, Winner unlawfully transmitted by mail the intelligence reporting to an online news outlet.
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Here's how the NSA identified The Intercept's source. Bad opsec! pic.twitter.com/OD6Pc7VJL5
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 5, 2017
Yes, Reality Winner.
https://twitter.com/starbucksgirl51/status/871843674069577733
Her name is Reality Leigh Winner? This can't be real, right?
— JB Von Preysing (@JBVonPreysing) June 5, 2017
I think I'm going to wait until they verify the name.
— Wittorical (@Wittorical) June 5, 2017
She is a 25 year old. I can't imagine how terrifying this is for her.
— Tracy Me (@tmb1229) June 5, 2017
That … was absolutely the last thing that would have occurred to us, if ever. But, yes, it should be pretty terrifying. Then again, she’s practically Wonder Woman.
Got to blame someone. ?? Whoever is leaking the truth will be a hero! Worst Prez ever! #ImpeachTrumpPence
— Dee Taylor (@TaylorDeella) June 5, 2017
Mail more!
— Jennifer (@JenniferSpaw) June 5, 2017
Mail more, but please note new return address:
I think 20 to 30 years in prison should be appropriate for that.
— Crosspatch (@VictorB123) June 5, 2017
First leaker identified. Keep it rolling, DOJ. These people deserve long PRISON sentences.
— K J Gillenwater (@kjgillenwater) June 5, 2017
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Update:
Having a name like Reality Winner makes it a lot easier for people to track down your social media musings, and Winner doesn’t appear to be a supporter of the president.
Reality Winner, arrested for alleged classified leak, is a former US Air Force linguist who speaks Pashto, Farsi & Dari, her mother tells me pic.twitter.com/SQjt13wRw6
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) June 5, 2017
Meet Reality Leigh Winner. The 25-y-o was charged today with leaking top secret NSA report on Russian hacking to @theintercept pic.twitter.com/YhKk688LWJ
— The Smoking Gun (@tsgnews) June 5, 2017
Federal contractor arrested for leaking doesn't appear to be a Trump fan pic.twitter.com/iHirdAxBmt
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) June 5, 2017
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Related:
Don’t get too excited about leaked NSA report proving that Russia hacked the election https://t.co/QGvAeHlL1D
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 5, 2017
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