Reality Winner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Classified NSA Leaks

Former American intelligence specialist Reality Winner has reached a deal with Federal prosecutors to serve more than five years in prison for leaking secret information to the media.

Winner became a major political flashpoint a year ago when she shared classified National Security Agency information on Russian military intelligence efforts to hack an American voting software supplier before the 2016 election. This coincided with cyberattacks and spearfishing campaigns against more than 100 local election officials.

The Justice Department took Winner into custody in June of 2017, and months ago, she pleaded guilty to the charges against her. Her plea agreement states that her sentence will last up to five years and three months, which according to paperwork from the prosecution, means this will be “the longest sentence served by a Dederal defendant for an unauthorized disclosure to the media.”

[Image via screengrab]

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