FBI issues Grand Jury subpoena presumed to relate to Wikileaks, Espionage Act charges

On April 26, accused Wikileaks source Bradley Manning's friend and supporter David House tweeted "Subpoenas are being issued in the WikiLeaks grand jury. Violations of Espionage Act. No further comment at this time." House is one of the few people who has visited Manning in detention in Quantico; where the former Army intelligence officer has been held for months before a recent transfer to Leavenworth, Kansas.

House later added that he did not receive a subpoena himself. The identity of the recipient is not yet publicly known.

From the Wikileaks Twitter account that same day: "Fresh subpoenas are being issued in the WikiLeaks Alexandra, VA secret grand jury in relation to the espionage act."

Glenn Greenwald at Salon writes that the FBI served at least one subpoena in Boston, and that this was presumably related to the Wikileaks case.

Notably, the Subpoena explicitly indicates that the Grand Jury is investigating possible violations of the Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. 793), a draconian 1917 law under which no non-government-employee has ever been convicted for disclosing classified information.

And Wikileaks, being Wikileaks, tweeted out the D.A.'s phone number.

• [Anonymous]

  #3, have you contacted the ACLU about representing you?

• [Ceronomus]

  Maybe….

• [Anonymous]

  I personally find it shocking that the FBI and law enforcement would raid someone’s house for making a phone call. It makes one wonder what these people are doing and if they are capable of holding the jobs they hold. Applebaum’s worried he’ll be shot. Assange is worried he’ll be assassinated. People are being stopped at the border (inside the U.S. so our Constitution applies). They belongings are being seized. Their friends are being harassed. Why? Because we read a bunch of garbage diplomatic posts (most of which was in the foreign press) and saw the Collateral Murder video – which we knew about. So now the DOJ is bringing a sense perception lawsuit. Anyway, it’s good to know that terrorism isn’t the pressing issue that we are spending billions of dollars to defend against. It’s the Copyright Act, file sharing, and some leaked information proving that our government is filled with nasty gossips, immature pontificating morons, and seem to be absolutely desperate that their own conduct has been exposed. Anyway Anon, this is unconscionable governmental conduct and every citizen in the United States should be terrified. They are using Patriot Act tactics (meant for terrorists) against U.S. citizens. Hopefully, you have a good lawyer and bring a lawsuit against them. It’s best to play these things out in public so the citizens understand what is going on with our government – who thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to steal from its citizens. The hypocricy is nauseating and extremely transparent.

• [querent]

  I still donate money to wikileaks. Freedom of the Press is a radical idea. I didn’t really realize how much so until recently.

• [Ceronomus]

  Holy crap Anon. Got a news story link to give more info on those events?

• [Ceronomus]

  I stand by some of my earliest comments on this matter. It doesn’t matter what you think of Pfc Manning’s actions…

  He’s screwed.

  Seriously.

  *IF* the allegations against him are true? He’s screwed.

  *IF* the allegations against him are false and the allegations against the government are true? He’s screwed.

  *IF* the allegations against him are false and the allegations against the government are also false? He’s screwed.

  I don’t see any scenario where Pfc Manning gets out of this mess.

  • [Anonymous]

    You’re right. But the tree of liberty must from time to time be watered with the blood of tyrants… and of patriots. It is its natural manure.

    Those of us who see Pfc. Manning as a patriot should raise memorials in his name, and name our children in his honor.

• [Anonymous]

  She’s not a “[A]DA” (Assistant District Attorney), which is a state level prosecutor. As s federal prosecutor, she is a US Attorney. So it should be AUSA McCormick. Get on the ball Wikileaks!

• [Anonymous]

  Careful about calling the telephone numbers of people involved with wikileaks court cases if you live in the USA. I did so on a whim with that absurd 300 million dollar emotional damage case against Assange in Florida. Two months later I had 4 FBI agents and a load of local police busting down my door at 6am to take all of my computers and storage devices. Three months later and they still haven’t been returned and I still have the threat of up to 10 years in prison hanging over me.

• [Zoman]

  Wait… are you saying he’s screwed?

• [Anonymous]

  #3 here again: I should not have made that comment (or this one). My lawyer has told me not to speak of it until the feds contact him again. I haven’t contacted the ACLU as I haven’t been charged with anything yet. Only threatened.

  Ceronomus: It was in the news. I was one of the 40 the FBI raided late January thinking they were getting Anonymous. I guess making the phone call I did fit the Anonymous profile.