Controversial journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has recently agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act, freeing him from a United Kingdom prison in which he has spent the last five years and will not face further prison time. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) praised the release in response, saying, "The case against Julian Assange brought to light the importance of protecting free speech, the free press, and the consequences of restricting them."
In 2010, Assange leaked information about the United States military's supposed misconduct in Iraq and Afghanistan that listed dozens of names that the government argued would put people in danger with the assistance of Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning.
More recently, in December 2023, Rep. Gosar introduced a bipartisan resolution calling for dropping Assange's charges, arguing his free speech rights were compromised, a resolution referenced in his statement about the journalist's release.
"The First Amendment to the Constitution protects the freedom of the press. It helps ensure that journalists have the right to gather and publish information without fear of reprisal from the federal government and is vital for holding those in power accountable while informing the public on important matters. The case against Julian Assange brought to light the importance of protecting free speech, the free press, and the consequences of restricting them," the Arizona Congressman continued.
Furthermore, Rep. Gosar referenced a 2016 claim that Russia had leaked emails between the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Hillary Clinton. This claim was made as the emails suggested the DNC sought to help undermine the Presidential run of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a claim that Assange vehemently denied.
"Julian Assange had been unjustly imprisoned for daring to expose government misconduct and the true nature of the United States military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for releasing emails showing the Democratic National Committee colluded with Hillary Clinton. Finally, Julian Assange is free, but not before unnecessarily spending five years in prison," Gosar concluded.
