Charges against NSA contractor viewed as "the first
salvo" in Trump's war on leakers
In the wake of a leaked NSA document detailing the agency's assessment of Russian
hacking efforts in last year's election and news of the contractor who divulged the
classified report being arrested, critics are voicing concern that President
Donald Trump is now showing more interest in prosecuting a potential whistleblower
than in the pursuit of those behind the hacking effort itself."Leak information about hacking our election: harsh consequences! Actually hack our election: no consequences." —Nicholas Thompson
The Intercept, which appears to have received the documents in the mail last
month, first published the NSA's report on Monday in conjunction with an
explosive analysis that examined alleged attempts by the Russian General Staff
Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) to compromise crucial voter information.
Previous inquiries into
the role the Russian government may have played in interfering with the 2016
presidential election concluded that "the Kremlin ordered an extensive,
multi-pronged propaganda effort."
However, the latest leaks reveal, as The
Intercept noted, that
"Russian government hackers, part of a team with a 'cyber espionage
mandate specifically directed at U.S. and foreign elections,' focused on parts
of the system directly connected to the voter registration process, including a
private sector manufacturer of devices that maintain and verify the voter
rolls."
Throughout his presidency,
Trump—who has been unnervingly blasé in his own handling of state secrets—has
frequently voiced fury at the seemingly endless stream of information that has
flowed out of government agencies.
"Leaking, and even illegal classified leaking, has been a big problem in Washington for years," Trump declared in February, adding that "low-life leakers...will be caught!"
The Justice Department on June
5 took steps toward making good on Trump's promise by announcing charges
against NSA contractor Reality Leigh Winner, who the FBI alleges leaked the top
secret documents.
While intelligence experts responded to the new revelations as a
"huge"
deal, Trump has continued to play down Russia's possible role in election
meddling.
The White House, meanwhile, has yet to speak on the contents of
the documents.
Critics quickly called attention to this one-sided pursuit.
For some, the Justice Department's swift announcement, which
came shortly after The Intercept posted the documents online, represents "the first salvo" in Trump's
"war on leaks."
"The case showed the [Justice Department's] willingness to
crack down on leaks, as Mr. Trump has called for in complaining that they are
undermining his administration," the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
"His grievances have contributed to a sometimes tense
relationship with the intelligence agencies he now oversees."
Adding to concerns that the announcements could be the initial
steps in a broader crackdown on leakers, ACLU attorney Patrick Toomey argued that leaks "are a vital source of
information for the public in our democracy."
"It would be deeply troubling," he told the Daily
Beast, "if this prosecution marked the beginning of a draconian
crackdown on leaks to the press by the Trump administration."