WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the Justice Department for his alleged role in a massive government data breach, sparking mixed reactions online.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, for example, blasted the plea deal in a lengthy X post on Monday.
“Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he started.
“The Biden administration’s plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.”
“There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever,” he continued.
Pence’s replies were swiftly flooded by outraged X users, with some calling the former VP a “traitor.”
Roger Stone responded to Pence by writing, “Bulls**t! Julian Assange exposed the corruption of you and your cronies.”
Other prominent voices like Tulsi Gabbard echoed the phrase “Julian Assange is free.”
“This should never have happened, but finally,” the former congresswoman said of the news.
Assange’s wife Stella also wrote, “Julian is free!!!!”
“Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU,” she added.
Assange, 52, will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose information related to national defense in a federal court in Saipan this week, Fox News reported.
“It’s good news that the DOJ is putting an end to this embarrassing saga,” director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation Seth Stern told the outlet.
“But it’s alarming that the Biden administration felt the need to extract a guilty plea for the purported crime of obtaining and publishing government secrets.”
“The plea deal won’t have the precedential effect of a court ruling, but it will still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come.”
Per court documents the deal will allow Assange to avoid imprisonment, however, a judge must approve the guilty plea first.
The plea agreement comes months after President Biden mentioned considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange.
Fox highlighted that Assange spent five years in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States.
He previously took refuge for seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after Swedish authorities sought his arrest on rape allegations, per Fox.
The Ecuadorian government eventually withdrew Assange’s asylum claim, citing irritation at his alleged behavior inside the embassy leading to his arrest in 2019.
Following the news Rep. Thomas Massie called for the immediate pardon of whistleblower Edward Snowden and Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online drug-selling site Silk Road.
“[Assange’s] liberation is great news, but it’s a travesty that he’s already spent so much time in jail,” Massie said on X. “Obama, Trump, & Biden should have never pursued this prosecution.”
“Pardon Snowden & Free Ross now,” he posted.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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