7 ms·
It doesn't seem like this was a proper whistle blower case. She did not use good judgement here, in my opinion. But her punishment was overly harsh. Especially
by staunch 5y ago
It doesn't seem like this was a proper whistle blower case. She did not use good judgement here, in my opinion.
But her punishment was overly harsh. Especially if you consider how much the federal government leaks, and how few people are prosecuted for it, and how little harm it does in most cases.
She was made an example of precisely because she was a low-level employee with no power or connections. Which is obviously wrong on a very deep level. And that's the big story here.
- rurp 5y agoMy thoughts as well. She obviously did something wrong and should be punished, but man, so many more powerful people have gotten away with way less punishment for much worse transgressions.
- elliekelly 5y agoI think “good judgment” is somewhat relative. She was in her early 20s at the time. I think it’s hard to grasp the reality of potential legal consequences and the full weight of the American government at that age.
- ganoushoreilly 5y agoI disagree, she had previously Served in the Military and was working at a D.o.D (NSA JOINT) facility. She was also working within those walls during the Snowden leaks. It was probably the opposite, she was likely constantly inundated with the legal consequences of leaks and disclosures. I would argue many people don't fully process the consequences of their actions regardless of age. That's a separate issue we have to solve for. In this instance (right or wrong) she was found guilty, she admitted to the action, and she did the time. Hopefully she's able to find gainful employment moving forward.
- watwatinthewat 5y agoShe was in the Air Force a full term before she was a contractor, and the UCMJ is beat into you in the military. Also, being in an intelligence squadron stationed at Ft Meade no less, she would have had tons of annual training on security requirements and their consequences. It's possible being younger meant she thought she was more likely to get away with it, but she certainly had enough briefings on the legal consequences to know what could happen if caught.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- jonny_eh 5y agoCompare to the Valerie Plame leak by the Bush administration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plame_affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plame_affair
- leephillips 5y agoWhy do you say that the sentence was overly harsh? Chelsea Manning got a 35 year sentence, and would still be in prison had Obama not granted a pardon. Do you know of comparable cases where significantly lighter sentences were imposed?
- boomboomsubban 5y ago*commuted her sentence, specifically because he claimed her sentence was disproportionate for what he still saw as a crime.
- leephillips 5y agoThank you, commuted, not pardoned. But whether he was right or not in thinking that sentence was disproportionate, it does not inform us about whether Winner’s sentence was appropriate. Note that revealing classified information can expose you to a charge of aiding the enemy, which carries a death sentence.
- dlgeek 5y agoDavid Petraeus?
- leephillips 5y agoWhat was he convicted of?
- JetSpiegel 5y agoExactly, nothing. That's the lighter possible sentence.
- dlgeek 5y agoHe plead guilty to one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y agoWell said.