The leaker of classified NSA documents, Reality Leigh Winner appeared in court today in Augusta Georgia.  She was denied bail as prosecutors provided the judge with evidence in the case including Ms. Winner writing about burning down the White House and a pre-planned intention to flee the country and head to Afghanistan or Mexico.

(Via ABC) […] Prosecutors said they seized handwritten notes — written in several languages — from her home during a raid, including one that said “I want to burn the White House down.” Other notes detailed how to get a burner email account and phones and travel details for a trip to Afghanistan Winner allegedly planned to make in the summer.  (read more)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Solari said in court that Winner admitted she had leaked the top secret document “to a particular news agency she admired” — and said “she was underwhelmed with what Wikileaks had to offer.”

Attorney Solari stressed that Winner referred to “documents” in the plural, and that federal agents were looking to see whether she may have stolen other classified information; adding that Winner allegedly had access to the dark web and had set up burner email accounts.

Federal agents found two notebooks in Winner’s home, according to the prosecution. In one, prosecutors allege that she wrote, “I want to burn the White House down.” On another page in one of the notebooks, prosecutors said, she listed the names of several Taliban and al Qaeda leaders, including Osama Bin Laden.

Winner allegedly told her mother that she needed to “go nuclear with the press” if she didn’t get bond because that’s how Chelsea Manning got out.

When prosecutors questioned Winner-Davis about her daughter telling her to “play that angle,” she said it was true.

A federal judge denied Winner’s request for bond.  (more)

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