In the News

News & Commentary Archive

Trump, Pence and Biden won’t be punished — but Chelsea Manning and Reality Winner went to prison, Salon, January 31, 2023.

Trump can’t declassify documents with his mind — but the whole system is badly broken, Salon, October 20, 2022.

The CIA’s hypocrisy on ‘sources and methods,’ Responsible Statecraft, October 18, 2022.

Don’t Celebrate the Espionage Act — Even Applied to Donald Trump, It’s a Dreadful Law, Salon, August 30, 2002.

Imprisonment Should not be a Death Sentence, Washington Post, June 27, 2022.

Drone Warfare: Can International Humanitarian Law Catch Up With Technology?, Global Voices, March 30, 2022.

The Other Drone Casualties, the Whistleblowers Who Tried to Stop It, CommonDreams, January 4, 2022.

What Modern Drone Warfare Means for Both Civilians and Soldiers, NPR, December 21, 2021.

Julian Assange’s Extradition to the United States Would Result in Serious Human Rights Violations, Jacobin Magazine, November 11, 2021.

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Imprisoned in Communications Management Unit Created for Terrorists, Shadowproof, October 18, 2021.

The End Game in the War on Whistleblowers, ExposeFacts, October 13, 2021.

After 20 Years of Drone Strikes, It’s Time to Admit They’ve Failed, MIT Technology Review, October 8, 2021.

The Myth of Internal Channels for National Security Whistleblowers, ExposeFacts, September 29, 2021.

Lawmaker Wants Pardon for Daniel Hale, who Leaked Drone Secrets, Washington Post, August 26, 2021.

Daniel Hale Wins 2021 Sam Adams Award, Consortium News, August 23, 2021.

Daniel Hale Went to Prison for Telling the Truth About US Drone Warfare, Jacobin Magazine, August 5, 2021.

Papers Instead of Human Lives: The Sentencing of Daniel Hale, Counterpunch, July 29, 2021.

Daniel Hale, Who Leaked Information on U.S. Drone Warfare, Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison, Washington Post, July 27, 2021.

Daniel Hale Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Drone Leak, The Intercept, July 27, 2021.

Committing the Truth: Whistleblower Daniel Hale to be Sentenced Tuesday for Drone Program Leaks, Democracy Now!, July 26, 2021.

Call me a Traitor, New York Magazine, July 20, 2021.

U.S. Government’s Jailing of a Drone Whistleblower, Shadowproof, June 16, 2021.

A “Traitor” to the American Death Machine Faces Years in Prison – While the killing Goes On, Salon, July 13, 2021.

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Jailed Ahead of Sentencing, The Intercept, May 5, 2021.

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale’s Guilty Plea, Consortium News, April 6, 2021.

Former Intelligence Analyst Daniel Hale Pleads Guilty to Leaking Classified Information, The Washington Post, March 31, 2021.

SolarWinds Is Not the ‘Hack of the Century.’ It’s Blowback for the NSA’s Longtime Dominance of Cyberspace, CommonDreams, January 27, 2021.

About Face, U.S. Veterans Against the War, Dec. 22, 2020.

Needed: A Whistleblower Protection Paradigm Shift, CATO, Dec. 15, 2020.

It’s Time to Reform the Espionage Act, Defending Rights and Dissent, Nov. 18, 2020.

Claims that John Bolton’s Book Disclosures are ‘Top Secret’ Ring Hollow, USA Today, February 4, 2020.

Trump’s allies want to ID the whistleblower, who may learn the price of speaking out, USA Today, Nov. 6, 2019.

A look at the Implications of Outing a Whistleblower, National Public Radio, Nov. 5, 2019.

Whistleblowers walk among us. Now one has gotten in Trump’s head, Washington Post, Oct. 27, 2019.

‘Horrific and chilling’: Whistleblower advocates complain as Trump tries to identify source of Ukraine complaint, USA Today, Sept 30, 2019.

Snowden Atty: Official whistleblowers’ channels “at best accomplish nothing,” MSNBC, Sept. 27, 2019.

New York Times Faces Backlash After Revealing Details About Whistleblower, The Guardian, Sept. 26, 2019.

Donald Trump’s Smears Designed to Silence Would-Be Whistleblowers, Experts Warn, The Guardian, Sept. 26, 2019.

The Trump Whistleblower Scandal Is Proving Edward Snowden Right, Huffington Post, Sept. 24, 2019.

The Whistleblower Complaint has Congress and Trump at an Impasse. Here’s What the Law says, Washington Post, Sept. 22, 2019.

Justice Department sues for proceeds from Edward Snowden’s Book, Washington Post, Sept. 17, 2019.

Alleged Leaker Says Espionage Act Charges Violate First Amendment, Washington Post, Sept. 16, 2019.

Lawyers Say Leak Prosecution Violates Freedom of the Press, Associated Press, Sept. 16, 2019.

Prosecutors Threw the Book at Julian Assange. Here’s How That Could Backfire, Time Magazine, June 14, 2019.

Former intel analyst pleads not guilty to leaking secret documents, CNN, May 17, 2019.

Former intelligence analyst charged with leaking drone details to news outlet, Washington Post, May 9, 2019.

U.S. charges ex-intelligence analyst with leaking classified documents, Reuters, May 9, 2019.

Leak charges poised to surge, Washington Examiner, April 12, 2019.

Julian Assange: Five things to know about the legal case against him, The Hill, April 12, 2019.

Julian Assange of WikiLeaks Arrested in London; Faces U.S. Charge Related to Chelsea Manning Leaks, Democracy Now, April 11, 2019.

What U.S. charges against Julian Assange mean for journalists, PBS Newshour, April 11, 2019.

Trump DOJ indicts WikiLeaks Founder Assange, The Beat with Ari Melber MSNBC, April 11, 2019.

Full Mueller Report Leak May be ‘Mandatory’ to Ensure its Release, Says Pentagon Papers Whistleblower, Newsweek, April 16, 2019.

Ex-FBI agent who leaked to press gets four years in jail, Washington Examiner, October 18, 2018.

Reality Winner Gets Record-Setting Prison Sentence in NSA Leak Case, Atlanta Journal Constitution, August 23, 2018.

The Wounds of the Drone Warrior, New York Times Magazine, June 13, 2018.

The Curious Case of the Twice Fired FBI Analyst, ProPublica, April 24, 2018.

‘DO NOT CONGRATULATE’: Patriotic anonymous sources continue their stellar work, Washington Post, March 21, 2018.

I went to Prison for Disclosing the CIA’s Torture. Gina Haspel Helped Cover It Up, Washington Post, March 16, 2018.

Suspect in leak of Russian cyberattack report faces tough legal battle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 15, 2018.

Challenges in Defending National Security Whistleblowers, Society of Professional Journalists, March 12, 2018.

James Clapper avoids charges for ‘clearly erroneous’ surveillance testimony, Washington Examiner, March 10, 2018.

Ahead of Trial, Government Vilifies NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner, TruthOut, February 26, 2018.

The Trump White House Is Fighting Back Against Leaks — And the Staff Isn’t Happy About It, Independent Journal Review, November 27, 2017.

FBI Employees Cannot Use Whistleblower Retaliation as a Defense Court Rules, GovExec, October 31, 2017.

Insider Threat Program Training and Trump’s War on Leaks: A Chilling Combination for Whistleblowers, CommonDreams, October 18, 2017.

Congress Must Take Action to Protection Whistleblowers From the NSA, The Hill, October 9, 2017.

The Story of Us With Morgan Freeman: What It’s Like to Be a Drone Pilot, National Geographic, October 9, 2017.

Ex-Drone Warrior: Don’t Give CIA Authority to Deploy Killer Robots in Afghanistan, The Daily Beast, September 28, 2017.

New Group Offers Leakers Free Attorneys, Financial Help if They’re Fired, Washington Examiner, September 19, 2017.

Caving to the CIA, Which Literally Assassinates People, Harvard Rescinds Manning Fellowship, CommonDreams, September 15, 2017.

Drone Warfare is Broken, Buggy, and Losing Us the War on Terror, Salon, August 12, 2017.

Why is Mattis Declaring War on Whistleblowers, The American Conservative, August 3, 2017.

Don’t believe the dangerous myths of ‘Drone Warrior,’ Op-ed, L.A. Times, July 16, 2017.

A Whistleblower Plays by the Rules at CIA, and Finds ‘Nothing Gets Done,’ McClatchy, July 14, 2017.

US Court Dismisses Jaber Lawsuit for Yemen Drone Attack, Al Jazeera, June 30, 2017.

Judge in Drone Case: Congressional Oversight of the Military is a Joke, The Hill, June 30, 2017.

D.C. Circuit Rejects Judicial Review of Drone Strikes (But at Least One Judge is Unhappy About it), The Washington Post, June 30, 2017.

A whistleblower plays by the rules at CIA, and finds ‘nothing gets done’, McClatchy, July 14, 2017.

Justice Department: We are Ready to Find and Prosecute Leakers, Daily Beast, May 17, 2017.

Chelsea Manning Prepares for Freedom: ‘I Want to Breath the Warm Spring Air,’The Guardian, May 17, 2017.

Former NSA Executive Urges Public Vigilance Against Government Overreach, Star Tribune, May 8, 2017.

‘I Don’t Know How Many People I’ve Killed: Whistleblowers Speak Out on America’s Gruesome Drone Wars, Alternet, Apr. 24, 2017.

What Have We Done: Executive Power Drones and Trump, CommonDreams, Apr. 14, 2017.

Trump’s Wiretapping Claims Revive Deep State Theory, Al Jazeera, Mar. 14, 2017.

Muslims Inside FBI Describe Culture of Suspicion and Fear, “It is Cancer,” The Guardian, Mar. 22, 2017.

Convicted CIA Leakers John Kiriakou’s Got Some Opinions About Wikileaks and Trump, Wired, Mar. 14, 2017.

The Misguided ‘Vault 7’ Whodunit?, Consortium News, Mar. 13, 2017.

Ex-Air Force Sergeant Urges Questioning of Drone Use, The Mercury, Mar. 10, 2017,

President Donald Trump’s Vengeful Pledge to Pursue Low-life Leakers, Shadowproof, Feb. 21, 2017.

When it’s Time to Blow the Whistle, New York Times, Feb. 18, 2017.

Leaks Plague Trump White House, Will They Continue?, Voice of America, Feb. 17, 2017.

Trump Fumes Over “Criminal” Leaks as Culprits Risk Harsh Penalties, U.S. News, Feb. 15, 2017.

Alternative “Facts,” ExposeFacts, Feb 13, 2017.

CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou Responds to President Trump, CNN, Jan. 26, 2017.

Obama’s Legacy: A Historic War on Whistleblowers, Long Island Press, Jan. 14, 2017.

In Declassified Edward Snowden Report: Committee Walks Back Claims About Intentional Lying, U.S. News, Dec. 22, 2016.

Government Watchdog Conducting New Investigation into Pentagon Whistleblower Retaliation, The Intercept, Dec. 13, 2016.

Intelligence Chief Publishes New Training Guide to Teach Whistleblower Rights, The Intercept, Dec. 9, 2016.

Government Surveillance, National Geographic Explorer, Nov. 28, 2016.

Obama’s “Factually Incorrect” Edward Snowden Remarks: Game Over for a Pardon, U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 21, 2016.

A New Documentary Explores the Devastating Effects of Drone Warfare on Victims and Whistleblowers, The Intercept, Nov. 20, 2016.

National Bird: Drone Wars – An Interview with Sonia Kennebeck, FourthThreeFilm, Oct. 13, 2016.

NSA Contractor Arrested for Alleged Theft of Top Secret Classified Information, The Guardian, Oct. 5, 2016.

‘National Bird’ Exclusive Trailer: Errol Morris and Wim Wenders Present Story of Drone Warfare Whistleblowers, IndieWire, Oct. 5, 2016.

Whistleblower in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Case Gets Money and an Award,McClatchy DC, Sept. 30, 2016.

Justice Department is Fighting Fired FBI Agents’ Use of Whistleblower Defense, The Intercept, Sept. 28, 2016.

CIA Whistleblower Kiriakou Honored for Integrity, Consortiumnews, Sept. 28, 2016.

CIA Torture Whistleblower: ‘Quest for Peace Must be Part of Election,’ CommonDreams, Sept. 24, 2016.

Film Review: Human Element Makes Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” Quite Captivating,Shadowproof, Sept. 16, 2016.

Sitting Down with a Post-9/11 Whistleblower, Vice News, Sept. 16, 2016.

U.S. Veterans Support Legal Fight by Yemeni Man Whose Relatives Were Killed in Drone Strike,LA Times, Sept. 8, 2016.

FBI Whistleblower Who Made Sex Claims Against Colleagues Headed Back to Court, McClatchy DC, Aug. 9, 2016.

US Air Force Whistleblowers Expose Secrets of Drone Warfare, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, July 28, 2016.

Pre-Snowden Whistleblower Explains How NSA Got “Unleashed” to Spy on Everyone, Motherboard VICE News, July 18, 2016.

The Most Important U.S. Air Force Base You’ve Never Heard Of, The Nation, July 7, 2016.

NSA Whistleblower: Clinton Emails Damaged U.S. National Security Much More than Manning, Assange Or Any Other Whistleblower, Washingtonstblog, July 7, 2016.

In Email Investigation, FBI Makes Political Decision to Not Recommend Charges for Clinton,Shadowproof, July 5, 2016.

Drone Strike Statistics Answer Few Questions, and Raise Many, New York Times, July 3, 2016.

Former U.S. Drone Technicians Speak Out Against Programme in Brussels, The Guardian, July 1, 2015.

U.S. Veterans Join Petition for Snowden, ConsortiumNews, June 23, 2016.

Petreaus Leaked Top Secret Information to Reporters, Escaped Consequences, Shadowproof, June 8, 2016.

If Hillary Clinton Gets a Pass on Espionage from President Obama, so Should Whistleblowers, Truthdig, June 6, 2016.

Dateline: On Assignment, NBC News, May 29, 2016.

Whistleblower Beware, New York Times, May 26, 2016.

Vindication for Edward Snowden From New Player in NSA Whistleblowing Saga, Guardian, May 23, 2016.

The Future of National Security Whistleblowing is at Stake in US Inquiry, Guardian, May 23, 2016.

Former US Official Reveals Risks Faced by Internal Critics, Der Spiegel, May 22, 2016.

How the Pentagon Punished NSA Whistleblowers, Guardian, May 22, 2016.

Snowden Calls for Whistleblower Shield after Claims by New Pentagon Source, Guardian, May 22, 2016.

Obama Defends Leak Prosecutions, Politico, May 12, 2016.

NSA Plan to Trash Employee Complaint Files Raises Concern for Some, NextGov, May 4, 2016.

NSA Data Collection About ‘Population Control,’ Not Law Enforcement – Whistleblower, RT America, Apr. 28, 2016.

‘It Feels Like Murder’ – Drone Whistleblower on Obama Drone Program, Going Underground RT UK, Apr. 25, 2016.

Film Review: National Bird Looks Deeply into Drone War’s Abyss, Huffington Post, Apr. 20, 2016Whistleblower’s Review of “Eye in the Sky,” Huffington Post, Apr. 20, 2016.

National Bird Review: Chilling Film Reveals Truths About Drones, The Guardian, Apr. 17, 2016.

Confessions of a Former Air Force Drone Technician, Al Jazeera, Apr. 13, 2016.

Obama’s Latest View on Secrecy Overlooks Past Prosecution of Leaks, New York Times, Apr. 11, 2016.

Obama: Outcome of Investigation into Clinton E-mails Won’t Be Political, Shadowproof, Apr. 11, 2016.

UNLV Speakers’ Concern is Drone Warfare Fuels Hatred,Las Vegas Review Journal, Mar. 30, 2016.

At UNLV, Whistleblowers Call for Accountability in Military Drone Program, Las Vegas Sun, Mar. 30, 2016.

Appeals Court: FBI Whistleblower Wrongfully Terminated for Alleging Sex Trips By Agents, Shadowproof, Mar. 30, 2016.

The Value of Freedom: What Will You Say?, NewsPeeks, Mar. 25, 2016.

Probe Launched into Pentagon Handling of NSA Whistleblower Evidence, McClatchy, Mar. 21, 2016.

Chelsea Manning: Government Anti-Leak Program a “Blank Check for Surveillance,” Guardian, Mar. 18, 2016.

Fired FBI Agent Who Blew Whistle Over Sex Trips Wins His Appeal, McClatchy, Mar. 3, 2016.

Badass Attorney Shoots Down the Case for Drones, Rolling Stone, Feb. 24, 2016.

‘National Bird’ Gives New Perspective on America’s Drone War, Associated Press, Feb. 14, 2016.

Berlin Film Review: ‘National Bird,’ Variety, Feb. 13, 2016.

US, Other Nations Targeted Assange and Wikileaks, RT America, Feb. 4, 2016.

Pre-Snowden Whistleblower Faces Misconduct Charges, 12 Years Later; Parallels to Jesselyn Radack Case, U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 27, 2016.

Upon Petraeus’ Request, Prosecutors Removed Embarrassing Reference to Kiriakou Case from Plea Deal, ShadowProof, Jan. 25, 2016.

Should Intelligence Whistleblowers be Prosecuted?, The Atlantic, Jan. 23, 2016.

Whistleblowers: Torture or Traitor?, Spike TV, Jan. 23, 2016.

Cock.li Server Seized Again by German Prosecutor, Service Moves to Romania, Ars Technica, Jan. 15, 2016.

Snowden Attorney Calls Ted Cruz’s Treason Accusation Sad, Ironic, U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 15, 2016.

22 Organizations Ask the IC IG to Investigate Insider Threat Program, POGO, Jan. 6, 2016.

Binney Testifies Before UK Parliament, ParliamentLive.TV at 15:24:17, Jan. 6, 2016.

John Kiriakou Named January 2016 Patriot Award Winner, Dissent NewsWire, Jan. 4, 2016.

Cian Westmoreland, Former U.S. Air Force Technician in Afghanistan, Speaks on War, Talk Nation Radio, Jan. 4, 2016.

U.S. Air Force Whistleblower on the Ugly Truth Behind U.S. Drone Killings, The Young Turks, Dec. 30, 2015.

From Drone Technician to Whistleblower, TheRealNews, Dec. 29, 2015.

Cock.li E-mail Server Seized by German Authorities, Admin Announces, Ars Technica, Dec. 21, 2015.

Beyond the Horizon with Jared Leto: Edward Snowden, AOL, Dec. 8, 2015.

Former Drone Pilots Denounce “Morally Outrageous” Program, NBC News, Dec. 7, 2015.

Government Targeted, Retaliated Against Drone Operators Turned Whistleblowers, RT America, Dec. 5, 2015.

Cyber Insecurity: How Can Hackers, Whistleblowers & Privacy Co-exist?, RT America, Dec. 4, 2015.

Beyond the Horizon with Jared Leto: John Kiriakou, AOL, Dec. 1, 2015.

The Top Ten Things Americans Should (Still) be Grateful for in 2015 (“Whistleblowers are #4), Foreign Policy, Nov. 25, 2015.

Jesselyn Radack: The Whistleblower Defender, IFEX, Nov. 25, 2015.

After Paris, Be Careful What You Ask For: Interview with Thomas Drake, openDemocracy, Nov. 24, 2015.

Air Force Whistleblowers Risk Prosecution to Warn Drone War Kills Civilians, Fuels Terror, Democracy Now, Nov. 20, 2015.

Former Drone Operators Say They Were “Horrified” by Cruelty of Assassination Program, The Intercept, Nov. 19, 2015.

“You Can’t Buy My Soul”: Drone Whistleblowers Speak Out, ShadowProof, Nov. 19, 2015.

Obama’s Drone War a “Recruitment Tool” for ISIS, Say U.S. Air Force Whistleblowers, Guardian, Nov. 18, 2015.

Government Compares NSA Whistleblowers Drake and Snowden to Ft. Hood Shooter, Soviet Spies, The Daily Beast, Nov. 18, 2015.

Suzanna Andrews Wins MIN Award for Best Profile on Jesselyn Radack, More Magazine, Nov. 18, 2015.

Life as a Drone Operator: “Ever Step on Ants & Never Give It Another Thought?”, Guardian, Nov. 18, 2015.

Alarming Doc “DRONE” Asks What it Means for War to be a Video Game, Village Voice, Nov. 17, 2015.

Documentary “A Good American” [featuring Bill Binney, Thomas Drake, Kirk Wiebe, Diane Roark & Jesselyn Radack] Premiers in U.S., DOC NYC, Nov. 17, 2015.

John Kiriakou Receives First Amendment Award at PEN Center USA’s Literary Awards Festival, Nov. 16, 2015.

The Dangers to National Security Whistleblowers, The Leonard Lopate Show, Nov. 16, 2015.

Leak Hypocrisy: CIA Employee Who Committed Security Breaches Weren’t Prosecuted, ShadowProof, Nov.13, 2015.

60 Minutes Stands with Secret Keepers Against Those Who Expose Them, FAIR, Nov. 11, 2015.

Secret Sources: Whistleblowers, National Security & Free Expression (Snowden, Radack, Drake, Risen), PEN American Center, Nov. 10, 2015.

Giving Intelligence Contractors Whistleblower Protections Doesn’t Have to Be “Complicated”, The Intercept, Nov. 6, 2015.

Despite U.S. Pressure, European Parliament Clears Path for Snowden Asylum, ShadowProof, Oct. 29, 2015.

Brandon Bryant Wins IALANA “Whistleblower of the Year” Award, International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, Oct. 28, 2015.

U.N. Report Calls on Governments to Protect Whistleblowers Like Snowden, Not Prosecute Them, The Intercept, Oct. 23, 2015.

Ted Rall, Jesselyn Radack & Sarah Harrison on Graphic Novel-Style Biography, “Snowden”, Reddit AMA, Oct. 23, 2015.

Edward Snowden’s Lawyer Jesselyn Radack on the Government’s War on Whistleblowers, Reason, Oct. 22, 2015.

The American Whistleblower with Jesselyn Radack, Watching the Hawks, Oct. 22, 2015.

Air Force Told Mother of Drone Critic That ISIS is After Her, Newsweek, Oct. 21, 2015.

What Clinton Got Wrong About Snowden, OTHER words, Oct. 21, 2015.

New Tactic to Stop Whistleblowers: Scare Their Parents?, U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 20, 2015.

Air Force Office Tells Drone Whistleblower’s Mom She is on ISIS “Hit List”, ShadowProof, Oct. 20, 2015.

Germany Confronts Deadly Result of Providing Metadata to NSA, Brandon Bryant Testifies to Bundestag, Die Zeit, Oct. 18, 2015.

Source: FBI Probe of Clinton Email Focused on “Gross Negligence” Provision, FOX News, Oct. 16, 2015.

Should “He” Flee? Whistleblowers Worry for New Drone Leaker, U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 15, 2015.

Jesselyn Radack Speaks Out for Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling, Independent Radio, Oct. 15, 2015.

Hillary Clinton is Wrong About Edward Snowden, New Yorker, Oct. 14, 2015.

Brandon Bryant: “Ramstein is Absolutely Essential”, Ard, Oct. 15, 2015 (testifies to Bundestag today)

37 Whistleblowers You Can Follow on Twitter, Forbes, Oct. 6, 2015