U.S. Is Optimistic It Will Prosecute Assange

[MelissaB]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Over the past year, U.S. prosecutors have discussed several types of charges they could potentially bring against the WikiLeaks founder

By Aruna Viswanatha and
Ryan Dube
Nov. 15, 2018 6:05 p.m. ET

The Justice Department is preparing to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and is increasingly optimistic it will be able to get him into a U.S. courtroom, according to people in Washington familiar with the matter.

Over the past year, U.S. prosecutors have discussed several types of charges they could potentially bring against Mr. Assange, the people said. Mr. Assange has lived in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since receiving political asylum from the South American country in 2012.

The people familiar with the case wouldn’t describe whether discussions were under way with the U.K. or Ecuador about Mr. Assange, but said they were encouraged by recent developments.

Ecuador’s relationship with Mr. Assange has deteriorated sharply since last year’s election of President Lenin Moreno, who has described him as a “stone in our shoe” and said his continued presence at the embassy is unsustainable.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-is-optimistic-it-will-prosecute-assange-1542323142

[Me.]

1. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[MelissaB]

2. Another short snip

Prosecutors have considered publicly indicting Mr. Assange to try to trigger his removal from the embassy, the people said, because a detailed explanation of the evidence against Mr. Assange could give Ecuadorean authorities a reason to turn him over.

The exact charges Justice Department might pursue remain unclear, but they may involve the Espionage Act, which criminalizes the disclosure of national defense-related information.

[MelissaB]

3. This is a big deal, and a major move by the US. The evidence they present has to be rock solid to

Link to tweet

This is a big deal, and a major move by the US. The evidence they present has to be rock solid to move forward so they must feel confident. How does Trump react to this?

[BigmanPigman]

4. I can't wait!!!!!

[MelissaB]

5. Me either!

Can we quote Joe Biden here about it being a BFD? lol

[MelissaB]

6. Shade from Rick Wilson

cc: @seanhannity @realDonaldTrump

Link to tweet

[Sunlei]

7. when they're done with spending a billion or 2 on el chapo 'trials'

U.S. prosecutors have discussed several types of charges they could potentiallybring.

what a waste of USA taxpayer federal funds and hundreds of hours of TIME on just two people. Let Mexico have their citizen and Australia have theirs.

[Marcuse]

8. Proceed.

[cstanleytech]

9. I am willing to bet he does not live long enough to be

brought to trial and I do not mean because he will die of natural either.
Rather my prediction is unless he is murdered with some polonium-210 some Novichok nerve agent Russian style and if not that then he will die from an "accidental" fall on the stairs Roger Ailes style or from walking to close to the edge of a buildings roof and "tripping" on something.

[nitpicker]

10. Julian Assange charged in secret, mistake on US court filing suggests

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/16/julian-assange-charged-in-secret-mistake-on-us-court-filing-suggests

Julian Assange charged in secret, mistake on US court filing suggests

Jon Swaine in New York and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington

Fri 16 Nov 2018 05.34 GMT

Julian Assange, a major target of the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election, has been criminally charged in secret, an apparent mistake in a court filing has indicated.

The court filing, submitted by US authorities in an unrelated case, mentioned the existence of criminal charges against someone named “Assange” even though that was not the name of the defendant.
(snip)

Earlier on Thursday evening, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was making preparations to prosecute Assange and was confident of being able to detain him and make him stand trial.

The court filing, written by assistant US attorney Kellen Dwyer, did not specify the nature of any charges against Assange. It was submitted to the federal court in the eastern district of Virginia, which handles many cases involving national security
(snip)

Legal analysts said the error was likely to have been caused by prosecutors copying and pasting from sealed documents outlining charges against Assange. Prosecutors are known to copy text from past court filings to make similar arguments in new cases, typically changing names and other relevant details accordingly.
(snip)