Possible crimes that have been mentioned in connection with these efforts are theft of government property, conspiracy or even a violation of the Espionage Act.
The Espionage Act holds that: “Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates … or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes … any classified information … obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.”
While Trump himself has taken a soft stance toward Russian interference — even suggesting he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials — the Justice Department led by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions launched an effort to crack down on government leaks. That could help explain why Assange was charged when the Obama Justice Department had declined such charges. Then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo in 2017 labeled WikiLeaks a “nonstate hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia” — suggesting the Trump administration viewed First Amendment concerns as less of an impediment. (Pompeo is now Trump’s secretary of state.)
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