Reality Winner, jailed for leaking secrets about Russia hacking, asks Trump for clemency
Lawyers for Reality Winner, the former NSA contractor who was sentenced to more than five years in prison after leaking classified information about Russian hacking, announced Monday they are seeking clemency from President Trump.
Winner, now 28, was sentenced in 2018 after leaking U.S. secrets about Russia's attempts to hack the 2016 presidential election to the news outlet, The Intercept. The sentence was the longest ever at the time for a federal crime involving leaks to the media. Winner pleaded guilty to leaking a classified report that detailed the Russian government's efforts to penetrate a Florida-based voting software supplier.
At the Monday news conference, Winner's legal team said they filed a formal petition for commutation with the Justice Department, saying Winner had "suffered enough" and calling on the president to "do the right thing." Winner's family is hoping she will be pardoned or granted clemency, and hope Trump will show her mercy.