Ex-WikiLeaker Domscheit-Berg disputes claims of deleted files; Wikileaks dumps thousands of new leaks

Kim Zetter at Wired News spoke to Daniel Domscheit-Berg, the former WikiLeaks spokesman reported to have recently destroyed thousands of unpublished documents submitted to Wikileaks last year.

"[He] says WikiLeaks is publicly exaggerating the contents of the deleted files, in an increasingly ugly dispute playing out over Twitter and in the press."

More: Former WikiLeaks Spokesman Disputes Claims About Destroyed Files

And related today, Wikileaks published thousands of new releases on Wikileaks.org.

• Report: Domscheit-Berg deletes cache of unreleased leaks
• WikiLeaks to sue defector who wrote tell-all book
• Openleaks’ Daniel Domscheit-Berg at 27c3
• Frontline on Wikileaks
• “Wikiwars,” CNN documentary on Wikileaks, debuts

• [penguinchris]

  Doesn’t anyone else think his name looks like it should be pronounced “Dumbshit”? Why is this obvious joke being missed? With the “Berg”, you could say his name is “Dumbshit Mt.”

• [The Rancid Honeytrap]

  This all smells really fishy to me. I just find it odd that such critical leaks could all be disappeared by one creepy confederate.  I don’t really know who to believe. I think this seriously compromises Wikileaks credibility for would-be whistleblowers if for no one else, regardless of how this all shakes out.

• [atimoshenko]

  So sad that such a useful organisation is headed by such twats.

• [That_Anonymous_Coward]

  He is an ego maniac, no he is an ego maniac!

  There was an idea the world needed, that secrets could be toxic and people needed to be woken up to them.  They need powerful figures in the lead.  The problem is they seem to suffer from the same evils government leaders get when they have power.

  Its nice that he disputes what is deleted, but the fact remains he deleted files compiled by Wikileaks while running his own Leaks competitor.  It would be wonderful to know nothing important is gone but hey look… they are deleted now.  And the next claim will be that OpenLeaks is publishing Wikileaks submissions that were “deleted”.

  I think both of them need to piss off at this point.
  Neither one is doing anything useful anymore other than sucking oxygen out of the room.
  When your more news than what you leak, you’ve screwed up.
  Take your egos and go have your peen measuring contest elsewhere.

  The world needs leaks to be free, it does not need muddied bloodied fighting between 2 frontmen being louder that the truths.

• [peterblue11]

  his actiosn are just so ….german. i m sorry..i m german myself and i know lots of guys who would do exactly the same douchebaggy thing he did. he shacks up with a girl. shes rich and got connections. he loves the hell out of it. says screw u wikileaks i m hangin with the german elite now and also i know ppl from the cia. i know its weird, theres nothing integral german about it..but the whole thing about sucking up to the elite all the while u were a wannabe rebel before is just so exemplary of whats goin on in the German pirate party all the time. as soon as any of those nerds get some attention and love from the high brow establishment they completely turn their former ideals, leaving friends and ex supporters behind. what is with this? i dont get it.

• [Bubba73]

  The linked article is not very clear on what exactly was deleted and whether or not it was very important in fact it was a bit shit. This is not the important point. 
  What is important is that people may have divulged this information to wikileaks perhaps at great personal risk and this disenchanted employee took it upon himself to decide to delete it because of  his own personal hissy fit with the way the organisation is run.
  I agree Assange may be something of a glory seeker but this is much more of a betrayal and is reprehensible when compared to the actions of those who risked much to bring the truth to light.