“WikiLeaks is a giant library of the world’s most persecuted documents. We give asylum to these documents, we analyze them, we promote them and we obtain more.”
- Julian Assange, Der Spiegel Interview
With election day only hours away, we've been bombarded by last-ditch media persuasion efforts. Though the candidates have been mudslinging throughout the entire process, we've seen the worst drama surface within the last few weeks. The notorious (or infamous) WikiLeaks has been among the media groups sharing the candidates' stories.
Or, rather, exposing media groups who attempt to share the candidates' stories.
Despite scrolling through their tweets and searching Google for summarized reports, I still have questions.The greatest of them revolve around the name 'Julian Assange.' You, like I, may have heard his name on Fox News or while reading The New York Times. Here are seven common questions (and attempts to answer them) regarding Mr. Assange:
1. Who is he?
Assange is a renowned journalist. And hacker.
Son of anti-war activists and founding member of International Subversives, a hacking group invested in ethical issues, Assange immersed himself in acts of media rebellion throughout his youth. In 1995, he was accused of numerous hacking activities with a friend. Despite attempts to stop the detective behind the investigations, Assange was caught and admitted to the crimes. After being fined yet escaping prison term under certain conditions, Assange began to work with Suelette Dreyfus. Dreyfus, who was researching the inflammatory side of the internet, collaborated with Assange on a book. Underground. Their project became a bestseller among computing communities. Soon after this project, Assange became known for his involvement with WikiLeaks.
2. How did he get involved with WikiLeaks?
He is the founder and current Editor-in-Chief of the hacking organization.
By 1999, Assange organized 'leaks.org.' He went on to become the Editor-in-Chief at WikiLeaks, which he founded in 2006, an undercover organization dedicated to hacking and leaking news. He spoke out about an NSA patent for 'voice-date harvesting technology.' His popularity rose in April 2010 after US soldier Chelsea Manning worked with WikiLeaks to leak classified information- one of the largest classified documentation leaks in US history. These documents, partnered with video footage, depicted US soldiers shooting civilians from a helicopter in Iraq. His feat popularized in modern media circles. His rebellious fanfare, however, was short-lived due to legal drama. That is, until recent WikiLeaks spotlight due to the Podesta emails.
3. What's the story with Assange's legal drama?
Only months after his media reveal, Assange was detained in the UK after Sweden issued an international warrant for his arrest.
His reputation and media presence was flooded with sexual assault allegations. Authorities sought to question Assange over two potential cases of rape and molestation. The alleged cases, said to occur during Assange's time in Stockholm while giving a lecture, surfaced August of the same year. According to Assange, the meetings were consensual. Following the allegations, Assange spent months in a small rural English town under house arrest. After an approved extradition in February 2011, Assange attempted to appeal. Yet on 14 June 2012, the UK Supreme Court denied his appeal.
4. What's the deal with his refuge in the embassy?
Assange then fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where the South American country granted the hacker political asylum on 16 August 2012.
Should Assange step out of the embassy, the UK government has stated it will extradite him to Sweden due to legal obligations. The Swedish government has claimed its sole reason for Assange's return is to conduct an adequate investigation. The sexual assault cases from Sweden were dropped on 13 August 2015, and the investigation into the allegations ceased. Assange would no longer be forced to Sweden if he chose to leave the embassy.
5. If the case closed, why does he choose to remain inside the embassy?
His fears of leaving were not solely connected to the trials in Sweden. They were, and are, due to obvious complications within his profession.
Several of Assange's legal battles are not the type that may surface in everyday media. Due to his profession and harnessed hacking skills, Assange has reportedly faced threats from various media outlets and governing leaders. Should he leave the embassy, many believe Assange may be questioned and/or arrested by the US government for the documents he released with Manning in 2010. Others believe he may face a worse fate- being murdered due to the content he has released.
6. How is he connected to the current Clinton email crisis?
Within the past year, WikiLeaks has released over 30,320 emails from Secretary Clinton's private email server. As Editor-in-Chief of the organization, Assange has control over leaked content.
These emails, some on personal matters and others on supposed attempts to rig debates/other presidential events, have been openly published by WikiLeaks. Despite his confined situation within the embassy, Assange has been able to aid in the releasing of the emails. The emails, which have been released in sections, highlight potential issues between Secretary Clinton and government leaders such as John Podesta. When the issues first arose, the Clinton campaign declined to comment, later suggesting WikiLeaks was working directly with Russia and the Trump campaign. Later issues, such as CNN journalist Donna Brazile's leaked debate questions, expedited WikiLeaks' immersion into media conversation.
7. What is he planning on releasing in the future?
While Assange's future plans are not clear, he was determined to share information on the 2016 presidential election.
"I don't want to give the game away, but it's a variety of documents, from different types of institutions that are associated with the election campaign, some quite unexpected angles, some quite interesting, some even entertaining," Assange said in an August 2016 interview with Fox News.
Assange has been outspoken about his desire to release classified details from the presidential campaign. While several of his interviews about leaking presidential documents hint toward documents released before 8 November 2016, Assange has yet to confirm whether or not WikiLeaks will continue their presidential leaks after the election.
For more information, check out these links:
Julian Assange: From hacker to Wikileaks founder
Profile: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
THE MAN WHO SPILLED THE SECRETS
Assange says WikiLeaks to release 'significant' Clinton campaign data
