The federal government is accusing a contractual worker from the U.S. Intelligence Agency of sending confidential information regarding Russian hackers to news platforms online last month. In a criminal report CNN obtained, federal investigators discovered Reality Leigh Winner, 25, requesting sensitive material from a national administrative office, and then mailing it to a news source. The government facility that she retrieved the information from remains unknown, along with the Media Outlet. The government employed Winner in the state of Georgia as a contractor at Pluribus International Corporation.
In a complaint filed earlier this week, prosecutors convicted her of receiving and transmitting classified defense information.
What we know so far
Police arrested Winner right before The Intercept released a publication last Monday. The article referenced a report on May 5, 2017 from the National Security Agency. It allegedly depicted two cybercrimes initiated by hackers from Russia who were attempting to invade the voting framework in the United States seven days before the presidential election last year.
In a report from CNN, the Classified Information Winner allegedly released is the same cited in the Intercept's publication.
As indicated by the criminal grievance, Winner purportedly confessed to printing the information knowing that it was sensitive.
She also admitted to deliberately submitting the document to the news source anyway despite her awareness that there would be severe consequences if she did so.
Leak source anonymous
Vivian Siu, Communications Director for The Intercept, revealed to CNN that someone sent the report referenced in their news column with anonymity.
She commented that her media outlet has no information about who sent the document, including whether Winner submitted it or not.
In the complaint filed against her, it states that Winner served in the U.S. Armed Forces for six years. The military put her on an assignment at the government facility in Georgia, and she’d been working there since February.
At the time, she had a security clearance that granted her access to top-secret information.
Titus Nichols, Winner’s lawyer, told CNN that a detainment hearing would happen on Thursday. The judge presiding over this case will decide whether to let his client out on bail or not.
If convicted, Winner could serve up to ten years in a federal penitentiary.
