40‑year sentence for former CIA employee who leaked secrets to WikiLeaks

Joshua Schulte, the former CIA computer scientist responsible for the largest data leak in the agency's history, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. He was found guilty of espionage and possession of child pornography. After completing his prison term, Schulte will be placed on life supervision.

The verdict follows three trials lost by the 35-year-old Schulte, completed in March 2020, July 2022 and September 2023. In total, the man was found guilty of more than a dozen charges, including espionage, hacking, making false statements, and possession of child pornography, a press release issued Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York indicated.

By a federal court decision in Washington, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. In addition, he is to be placed on life supervision upon his release from prison. - Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of American history's most brazen and heinous espionage crimes. He has done untold damage to our national security - said Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

- The theft committed by Schulte is the largest data leak in the history of the CIA, and the transfer of stolen information to WikiLeaks is one of the largest unauthorized leaks of classified information in U.S. history - the prosecutor's office said.

Before the verdict was delivered, Joshua Shuttle spoke to the court, expressing grievances over the severe conditions of his detention, such as the lack of access to hot water and the continuous exposure to noise and artificial lighting. He also criticized the prosecution's demand for a life sentence as unjust, especially since they had earlier proposed a plea agreement that would have resulted in a 10-year prison term.

- This is not justice the government seeks, but vengeance - Joshua said.

Soruce: CNN, Al-Jazeera