John,
An important whistleblower is still behind bars. Air Force Veteran Reality Leigh Winner is serving 63 months for leaking a one-page document that helped reveal interference in the 2016 election.1 For exposing the truth about something as important as the security of our election systems, this brave woman deserves the thanks of our country, not a prison cell.
Sign the petition to demand that President Biden commute Reality’s sentence.
SIGN THE PETITION
Just yesterday, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee did a documentary short on Reality Leigh Winner. In it, Reality's sister said: “As far as I can tell, Reality is being treated as an enemy of the state because the state didn’t want there to be irrefutable concrete proof procured by our own intelligence agencies that Russia did attempt to influence the 2016 election.”2
The United States has a shameful history of attacking and imprisoning whistleblowers, from Daniel Ellsberg to Chelsea Manning to Edward Snowden. According to Reality's leak, hackers used phishing emails to target election service companies in 2016.3 But Homeland Security couldn’t warn election companies in advance of 2020 elections because the document was classified—so Reality leaked it in the interest of protecting the vote. Reality's action allowed the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to send out warnings to the targeted election companies. The 2020 election was declared the most secure election in US history.4
Reality was sentenced to over five years in prison, much longer than the sentences of people convicted of similar charges. It was her first arrest, and despite being chronically ill she has not been allowed to go home during the pandemic. Reality did not endanger national security.5 In fact, her action was a service to our national and election security that was in the best interest of our country. Reality deserves her freedom.
Sign the petition now to tell President Biden to commute Reality Leigh Winner’s sentence.
For freedom of information,
Lia & the Team at ❤️Fight
1. Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate-report-russia-tried-to-invade-election-systems-in-all-50-states
2. Full Frontal with Samantha B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKHRqK4R_s
3. The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/
4. Vox: https://www.vox.com/2020/11/13/21563825/2020-elections-most-secure-dhs-cisa-krebs
5. The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2018/08/23/reality-winner-sentenced-leak-election-hacking/
Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.
