U.S. Says Assange Violated Espionage Act in Leaking Secrets
- WikiLeaks founder conspired with Manning, indictment alleges
- Maximum penalty on most charges is 10 years in prison
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The U.S. charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with 18 counts related to endangering U.S. national security by conspiring to obtain and disclose classified information in one of the biggest intelligence breaches in American history.
The indictment against Assange, who until recently was holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, says the 47-year-old was complicit with former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning in “unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to national defense.”