FBI Paid Off Wikileaks Insider To Be An Informant: Imagine If It Was The NY Times

[AngryAmish]

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130627/10425023638/fbi-paid-off-wikileaks-insider-to-be-informant-imagine-if-it-was-ny-times.shtml

"People like to debate whether or not Wikileaks is or is not a "media property," but I can't see any definition of a media property under which Wikileaks would not fall. Yes, it publishes leaked documents, but so do many other media properties. Yes, it has a strong ideological viewpoint, but so do many other media properties. So it's rather stunning to read about the fact that a Wikileaks insider apparently spent some time as a paid informant for the FBI, handing over a variety of internet information on things happening within Wikileaks. Imagine if this was the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal, and it came out that an employee was getting paid by the FBI to reveal what those newspapers were working on. People would be up in arms, just like they were over the DOJ's spying on AP reporters and a Fox News reporter. Except, this wasn't just spying on a reporter, this was flat out paying off an insider to share internal information. That's incredible. "

I must confess I supported going after Manning because there seemed to be no reason to publish diplomatic cables. I am reconsidering this position in light of Snowden's imo much more important disclosure re domestic surveillance.

However, wikileaks is a news organization. FBI should never be in the business of bribing reporters. This is Hoover territory.

[think]

1. FBI spying on a news organization. I guess that's American as apple pie...

[msanthrope]

5. The informant approached the FBI. If an intern from Fox News had done it,

about suspected illegal activity would you have a problem with that?

[think]

10. I'm not familiar with the illegal activity exposed by Thordarson

Could you please point me to it?

[msanthrope]

11. Sure..The Wired story details the Lulzsec hacking that he was

co-conspirator on. Further, any evidence he had regarding Manning's communications with Wikileaks would be evidence of the crimes Manning is charged with.



http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/wikileaks-mole/all/

[think]

13. The article that states "There’s no evidence of any other WikiLeaks staffer being involved. "

and says nothing about him having evidence in regards to Manning.

That article?

There’s no evidence of any other WikiLeaks staffer being involved.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/wikileaks-mole/all/

[msanthrope]

14. I'm not understanding your point. nt

[think]

15. Nor am I yours......

[msanthrope]

17. No other Wikileaks staffer needs to be involved. It sounds like Thordason was a co-conspirator

with Lulzsec, got nervous, ratted out to the feds.*** As for the Manning evidence, if you remember the Article 32, evidence of chat logs between Manning and Assange was presented... given what the Wired article states this intern turned over to the feds I have no doubt that that particular bit of evidence was provided by this informant.


*** let me be clear ...that would be evidence of wrongdoing by WikiLeaks, since at the time of that particular hacking that kid was in a position of authority. what anybody was thinking putting a teenager in a position of authority is beyond me.

[think]

16. I asked if you could point me to information of illegal activity Thordarson exposed about Wikileaks

You in turn say "sure" and link to story where it shows that Thordarson was exposed. Yes he was working at Wikileaks but Thordarson exposed no wrong doing of Wikileaks.

Thordarson exposed NOTHING

Kind of a huge difference....

[msanthrope]

18. Then Julian Assange has nothing to worry about then! He can fly to Sweden

tomorrow to clear up the rape charges since there is no evidence of wrongdoing against him.

lthough this would explain why anonymous ditched Assange... if a WikiLeaks intern conspired with loluzsec and then ratted them out to the feds, that might provoke a feud.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Are you trying to tell me our government hates real news organizations?

Shocked! Shocked, I say!

If it was the NYT or any other "news" outlet they would just have them print whatever they tell them to.

[msanthrope]

3. The informant approached the FBI...not the other way around. Wired's story

on this is a bit more factual. Should the FBI have turned him away? Why?

[AngryAmish]

4. So the informant is a whistleblower?

Should the FBI be paying them?

[msanthrope]

8. Wired's account details the 5k paid..and how the leaker came forward...

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/wikileaks-mole/all/

Sounds like the FBI took what was offered.

[treestar]

6. Those newspapers do things other than publish stolen classified documents

Does Wikileaks? It seems to be limited to leaks.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. This kid has a history of lying

can't find the link but it said
he did small things for wikileaks but lied about many other things said people that knew him so his integrity is in question right now.

That news came from Iceland.

wait and see.

[msanthrope]

9. Read the Wired link above...sounds like the FBI figured out pretty quickly what

this kid was offering, paid him 5k, and cut him loose.

What was Assange thinking, giving a 17 year old such responsibility?

[Recursion]

12. The NYT pays people to go undercover all the time

Or did you intend the other referent?