According to a CNN report, the Justice Department is preparing charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for releasing classified information.

However, the Justice Dept. has been running into First Amendment rights in its pursuit to prosecute Assange for publishing classified documents pilfered by Chelsea Manning and the recent leaks of hacking tools stolen from the CIA.

The ACLU had a few things to say about the prosecution regarding press freedom. "Prosecuting WikiLeaks would set a dangerous precedent that the Trump administration would surely use to target other news organizations."

Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept criticized the alleged efforts of prosecutors. "Assange is not American and has never stepped foot in the U.S. This is all grounded in U.S. self-perception as world ruler."

It is doubtful that Assange would leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he has been staying for the last five years. If he did, he could be extradited to Sweden where he would be facing charges in the U.S.

Source: SCMagzine