Incident
United States charges Army analyst Chelsea Manning under the Espionage Act for leaking to WikiLeaks
The U.S. Army charged intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning under the Espionage Act, a 1917 law against disclosing defense information, after she gave WikiLeaks, a website that publishes leaked documents, a large archive of military and diplomatic files that news organizations later published.1234
What happened
In 2010, U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning gave WikiLeaks, a website that publishes leaked documents, a large archive of military reports and diplomatic cables, including video of a 2007 helicopter strike in Baghdad. The material included, the American Civil Liberties Union said, "evidence of civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. attempts to cover up the CIA torture program, and other matters of public interest." WikiLeaks and news partners including The Guardian and The New York Times published selections. The Army charged Manning under the Espionage Act, a 1917 law against disclosing defense information, and, more unusually, with "aiding the enemy," a capital military offense; prosecutors did not allege she gave material directly to any adversary. A military court convicted her in 2013 on Espionage Act counts but acquitted her of aiding the enemy, and sentenced her to 35 years, the longest sentence given a leaker in United States history. President Obama commuted the sentence in January 2017.1234
What reason was given
Stated justificationMilitary prosecutors said Manning's disclosures endangered lives and national security; the ACLU said the "aiding the enemy" charge was "akin to treason and punishable by death" despite no allegation she gave material to an adversary directly.2
What changed for reporting
The prosecution set a United States record for a leak sentence and became a reference point for later Espionage Act cases against sources for journalists; the ACLU said, "When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system."3
Timeline
2010
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Barack Obama | other | President of the United States (2009-2017) |
| Chelsea Manning | other | U.S. Army intelligence analyst |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| The Guardian | outlet | affected |
| The New York Times | outlet | affected |
| WikiLeaks | outlet | affected |
Sources
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- The leaked material included evidence the ACLU said documented civilian deaths and the CIA's torture program.
evidence of civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. attempts to cover up the CIA torture program, and other matters of public interest.
The Chelsea Manning Case: A Timeline archived copy, American Civil Liberties Union, 2017-01-17.Claim 216, checked 2026-09-22. - The ACLU said the "aiding the enemy" charge was akin to treason though prosecutors alleged no direct contact with an adversary.
akin to treason and punishable by death
The Chelsea Manning Case: A Timeline archived copy, American Civil Liberties Union, 2017-01-17.Claim 217, checked 2026-09-22. - The ACLU said Manning's 35-year sentence was disproportionate next to lighter treatment of officials responsible for wartime abuses.
When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system.
The Chelsea Manning Case: A Timeline archived copy, American Civil Liberties Union, 2017-01-17.Claim 218, checked 2026-09-22. - Manning's sentence was described as the heaviest ever given a leaker in United States history before it was commuted.
the heaviest sentence handed down to a whistleblower or leaker in U.S. history
The Chelsea Manning Case: A Timeline archived copy, American Civil Liberties Union, 2017-01-17.Claim 219, checked 2026-09-22.