WEBVTT - Government Contractor First Arrest in Leak Crackdown (Audio)

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<v Speaker 1>It's the first criminal lead case under President Donald Trump,

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<v Speaker 1>who's vowed to crack down on government workers who illegally

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<v Speaker 1>leak information. The Justice Department announced the espionage charges against

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<v Speaker 1>a government intelligence contractor shortly after the online news outlet

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<v Speaker 1>The Intercept published what it said was an n essay

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<v Speaker 1>report detailing Russian hacking efforts in the days before the

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<v Speaker 1>twenty six election. The twenty five year old contractor, a

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<v Speaker 1>former US Air Force linguist Reality Lee winner, has been

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<v Speaker 1>working at the firm for less than four months, joining

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<v Speaker 1>us as Patricia Hutado, who covered Manhattan federal courts for

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg and wrote this story, pat did this leaked material

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<v Speaker 1>contain new confidential information? Yeah, according to the government, it

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<v Speaker 1>was a top secret report that if it got into

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<v Speaker 1>if it dissonated publicly, would harm the United States because

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<v Speaker 1>of them the information obtained, And so they're they're holding

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<v Speaker 1>that in very high regard, of high concern that it

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<v Speaker 1>got leaked out to the media and published. Patty, what

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<v Speaker 1>do we know about how the government tracked down this

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<v Speaker 1>woman as the alleged leaker. Well, apparently they became they

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<v Speaker 1>were notified when the Intercept it says it doesn't identify

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<v Speaker 1>the news organization, but they said they were UH contacted.

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<v Speaker 1>A government contractor was contacted by a online media reporter

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<v Speaker 1>saying that they had obtained in the mail some documents

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<v Speaker 1>and they wanted to tell them about it and have

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<v Speaker 1>them review it to to determine if they were legitimate

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<v Speaker 1>and UM real. And so the contractor UH immediately became

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<v Speaker 1>concerned about what the data was on the allegedly on

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<v Speaker 1>about in subject matter and basically asked the media report

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<v Speaker 1>of the online reporter to take a photo copy and

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<v Speaker 1>center copy to see what it looked like. And based

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<v Speaker 1>on what that document was sent to them, they determined

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<v Speaker 1>and they were also told that it was mail from Augusta,

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<v Speaker 1>Georgia that they'd obtained in the mail from Augusta, Georgia. UM,

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<v Speaker 1>the government tracked back on the document. Apparently only six

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<v Speaker 1>people ever viewed this document, and UM only hers was

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<v Speaker 1>the web the desktop that they had downloaded and printed

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<v Speaker 1>out the material and then they suggested was folded and

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<v Speaker 1>carried out on her person out of the office patty.

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<v Speaker 1>She had top secret security clearance and worked at this

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<v Speaker 1>government contractor for less than four months, and she admitted

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<v Speaker 1>to FBI agents that she leaked the information to the

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<v Speaker 1>news outlet, knowing quote the contents of the reporting could

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<v Speaker 1>be used to the injury of the US and to

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<v Speaker 1>the advantage of a foreign nation. According to the warrant,

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<v Speaker 1>is there something seriously wrong with the process for getting

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<v Speaker 1>tops curity clearance if something like this happens so fast,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it's unclear. I mean, she had worked as

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<v Speaker 1>for the United States arm Air Force for um at

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<v Speaker 1>least four to five years prior to this, and she

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<v Speaker 1>was an airman. She had worked as a linguist. She

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<v Speaker 1>apparently came with great credentials. Now we're now seeing social

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<v Speaker 1>media postings that she's put out where she sounds like

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<v Speaker 1>she's got, you know, opinions and political beliefs, and whether

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<v Speaker 1>or not that was vetted. Um, she was working for

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<v Speaker 1>a legitimate government contractor for this U S intelligence agency

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<v Speaker 1>that's unnamed. So maybe people are going to go back

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<v Speaker 1>now and review. Maybe the vetting process needs to be

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<v Speaker 1>a little more thorough before they scrub someone, to make

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<v Speaker 1>sure that they don't, you know, have someone that might

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<v Speaker 1>have some kind of animus or some opinions. Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>has spent a lot of time talking and tweeting about

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<v Speaker 1>cracking down on leakers of of UH top secret information.

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<v Speaker 1>Do we anticipate that this case is going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the first of many or is this just a one

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<v Speaker 1>off where UH somebody perhaps was so slopping the way

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<v Speaker 1>that that she leaked the information that it was easy

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<v Speaker 1>for for the FBI to tracker down. Well, we don't know.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, what we do know is that the obviously

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<v Speaker 1>the report was actually giving UM ballast to UM the

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<v Speaker 1>argument that Russians, the Russian government had probably hacked into

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<v Speaker 1>UM election systems, and this was kind of indicating there

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<v Speaker 1>were some content they were outside city contractors that worked

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<v Speaker 1>with the election system that had been compromised by a

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<v Speaker 1>Russian UH by Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate or

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<v Speaker 1>g r U. So this is like a real Russian

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<v Speaker 1>hacking governmental agency. So UM, whether or not the you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the Trump administration wants to crack down on more people

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<v Speaker 1>that dallas to the argument that the Russians hacked the

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<v Speaker 1>US election and we're trying to influence it remains to

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<v Speaker 1>be seen. We do know that the Obama administration really

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<v Speaker 1>clamped down on hackers and during the you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>the Obama administration coming down against people like Chelsea Manning

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<v Speaker 1>and others for leaking material to the to the press

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<v Speaker 1>and making it public. And Patty, how much time is

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<v Speaker 1>she facing if convicted. Um, Well, it's unclear. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>she did confess to the crime, but she's still at

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<v Speaker 1>this point. She has an appearance on Thursday, um, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's a detention hearing, so the government moves to keep

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<v Speaker 1>her in custody, saying that she's too much of a threat.

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, they're apparently going through all of her computer

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<v Speaker 1>records and all of it. They've done a search of

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<v Speaker 1>her home in Augusta, and she could face up to

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<v Speaker 1>ten years in prison if she's convicted. Well, I'm sure

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<v Speaker 1>that you will be at that hearing and giving us

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<v Speaker 1>the news from and thanks so much for being on

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Law. That's Patricia Hurtado. She covers the Manhattan federal

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<v Speaker 1>courts for Bloomberg