Letter of Support for Clemency

by | Apr 13, 2019

On June 3, 2017, Reality Leigh Winner was jailed for providing the news media with a classified intelligence assessment that called public attention to a threat to our United States electoral process. A Spear Phishing Attack targeted election support companies during the US 2016 Presidential Election.  Many consider her disclosure a public service because it allowed the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to send out industry-standard warnings to the targeted companies. Protecting the vote and their election equipment was a priority, yet Homeland Security couldn’t warn the contractors because it was classified.  

Thanks to Reality WInner the public has been informed & we should be able to take defensive measures if the government wants to do so. The EAC had hashtagged #RealityWinner on Twitter when she blew the whistle on this election interference, but despite this, it’s still unclear as to how much of our election infrastructure has been breached.

@EACgovAlert – Following NSA document leak, EAC Issues Guidance and Recommendations: bit.ly/2rRIpA6 #RealityWinner #NSA

We, like many of you, believe it’s important to help patriotic Americans who call out corruption when they see it, like Reality Winner.

We believe that Reality, and other intelligence community whistleblowers, are unable to receive a fair trial in the United States when charged under the antiquated Espionage Act. This law was, and should be, meant for spies seeking to harm our country, our democracy, our freedom… Not for whistleblowers seeking to call attention to corruption.

Although Reality disclosed information about an attack on our most fundamental and cherished democratic process, there is no public service defense permitted for Espionage Act cases.  This means that a jury is not allowed to see any evidence that is marked as classified, whether it’s overclassified, or even if it’s already public knowledge. Additionally, the judge is able to limit the defense evidence gathering process, for what appears to be arbitrary reasons.

Stand With Reality, comprised of advocates of Reality Winner and all whistleblowers, are seeking Letters of Support to send to the White House when Reality’s Petition for Clemency for a commutation of her sentence is filed. Will you show your support by signing this letter?

 

*A side note from Stand With Reality advocates*

 It has come to our attention that some people may feel uncomfortable with the salutation on this letter of support. Please keep in mind a couple things;

 

1) All Petitions for Clemency go across the POTUS desk in a certain order. Because we are unsure where Reality’s petition will fall in order, we aren’t sure who the POTUS will be when her petition comes to the desk. Keeping that in mind, we addressed this letter to the office of the POTUS, not a particular person.

 

2) If you still feel uncomfortable with the salutation, or any part of this letter, but still want to write a letter of support yourself, please feel free to do so & email your letter to be included with the rest to RealityAngel.Liz@activist.com (.pdf, .doc or .rtf files please.)