Split Verdict Given For CIA Programmer Charged In Massive Leak

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Wall Street Journal: A federal jury couldn’t reach a verdict on whether a former software engineer for the Central Intelligence Agency was responsible for leaking a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks, convicting him instead on lesser charges stemming from the leak (Warning: source paywalled; alternative source). Joshua Schulte, 31 years old, was convicted of making false statements and contempt of court — charges that related to Mr. Schulte’s conduct after the March 7, 2017 publication of the CIA materials, dubbed Vault 7 by WikiLeaks. The jury said Monday they were deadlocked on the remaining eight counts, including the illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information. The hung jury, following a week of jury deliberations, marks a blow to the Justice Department in its crackdown on government leaks. One former top CIA official who testified called the leak “the equivalent of a digital Pearl Harbor.” The government could choose to prosecute Mr. Schulte again on the deadlocked charges.

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https://yro.slashdot.org/story/20/03/09/220213/split-verdict-given-for-cia-programmer-charged-in-massive-leak?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed