Federal Contractor ARRESTED In NSA Document Leak On Russia Election Hacking
June 6 2017, Published 12:31 p.m. ET
The Justice Department announced Monday that an intelligence contractor has been charged with leaking a classified report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election to the press.
Reality Leigh Winner, 25, is accused of "removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet," according to a federal complaint, CNN reports.
The complaint revealed the findings of an internal audit, which exposed Winner as one of six people who printed the document, and the only one in email contact with the news outlet.
According to prosecutors, Winner confessed to leaking the classified information after being confronted. She was arrested on June 3 in Augusta, Georgia.
Winner could face up to 10 years in prison for leaking the report.
A detention hearing is set to take place on Tuesday in Augusta, said Winner's lawyer, Nichols. According to reports, she did not enter a plea in her initial appearance on Monday.
"She's just been caught in the middle of something bigger than her," Nichols said, insisting he has yet to receive evidence about the case and arrest from the government.
Meanwhile, WikiLeaks tycoon Julian Assange has shown public support for Winner, calling her courageous "in trying to help us know."
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