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More On The Brewing Crackdown On Reporters And Media Sources For ICE Leaks

In this edition of the "Dissenter Weekly," host Kevin Gosztola focuses on the Fox News network's push for leak prosecutions against media sources at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Homeland Security Department (DHS). The network is furious that details about ICE raids are being

ICE Leaks: Trump Officials Push For Criminal Charges Against Whistleblowers And Press

If the Trump administration pursues such charges, it will represent a concerted attack on potential whistleblowers or media sources.

City Of Portland Pays Nearly $1 Million For Arresting Journalists At Protests

Dissenter Weekly: Trump And The Weaponization Of Distrust Toward US Media

In this special edition of the "Dissenter Weekly," host Kevin Gosztola talks with Mickey Huff and Andy Lee Roth of Project Censored about how President Donald Trump's administration has weaponized distrust toward the news media establishment to further attacks on the press. Mickey is the director

No Other Film As Deserving Of An Oscar

“No Other Land” filmmakers demonstrate great courage in the face of industry censorship, pervasive hopelessness, and risks to their freedom

Trump White House Builds Its Own Lapdog Press Corps

The Fight Against Elon Musk and DOGE's Secrecy

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support independent journalism on government secrecy, press freedom, and whistleblowing. Over a half dozen lawsuits have been filed by nonprofit groups seeking to challenge the intense secrecy surrounding billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of

Dissenter Weekly: Trump Vs. US Whistleblower Agency

This edition of "The Dissenter Weekly" was sent to paid subscribers on February 21. For this edition of "The Dissenter Weekly," host Kevin Gosztola outlines the battle that President Donald Trump is waging over the head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Trump fired OSC

Burying The CIA's Assange Secrets

The CIA won the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by four Americans who claimed they had their privacy rights violated when they visited Julian Assange in Ecuador's London embassy.

Dissenter Weekly: A Star Chamber For Journalists?

The following edition of the "Dissenter Weekly" was sent out to paid subscribers on February 14. Support The Dissenter Newsletter and receive the show every Friday. In this edition of "The Dissenter Weekly," host Kevin Gosztola focuses on a proposed bill [PDF] in the state of

Judge: Presidents May Be Immune From Prosecution But Not Transparency

Trump Megadonor Escalates Campaign Against Freedom of The Press

If billionaire Steve Wynn prevails, it would potentially open the floodgates to libel lawsuits against reporters, editors, producers, and news media

Dissenter Weekly: More On The Case Of Asif Rahman

CIA Analyst's Plea Deal Adds Further Intrigue To Espionage Act Prosecution

Like most Espionage Act cases, Rahman’s ended in a plea agreement. But there are several unusual aspects to his case.

US Judge Upholds First Amendment, Dismisses Lawsuit Against Palestine Chronicle

The lawsuit was brought by a former Israeli hostage.

Dissenter Weekly: Tulsi Gabbard's National Security Sin, Kash Patel's 'Enemies List'

Gabbard's Confirmation Hearing: Snowden Blasts Senators For Obsessing Over Him

"Courts have been ruling for ten years that NSA broke the law, guys. Move on," Snowden declared.

Deported Palestinian American Journalist Says Swiss Ministry Of Defense Agents Tried To Interrogate Him

"And that’s the moment I thought, does anyone know I’m here? I had no idea what was going on outside.”

Police In Switzerland Ban Then Detain Palestinian American Journalist

In an act of repression, Zurich police detained Palestinian American journalist and author Ali Abunimah to block him from delivering a lecture

Dissenter Weekly: Tracking Trump's Threats From Day One

Leak Once Again Disrupts Trump’s Plans For Massive Immigration Raids

Biden's Legacy: The World Is More Unsafe For Journalists

Despite pronouncements, President Joe Biden's administration helped make the state of the free press more fragile

Making A Mockery Of Freedom Of The Press

Destroyed Assange Files: Why Judge's Rebuke Against Crown Prosecution Service Was So Significant

A British judge issued an unusually critical rebuke against the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales

Incarcerated Journalist, Now At Texas Supermax Facility, Remains In Solitary

Incarcerated journalist Jeremy Busby says Texas state prison staff are inappropriately denying him access to members of the press and refusing to restore his phone privileges

Biden's Legacy: Fundamentally Changing Nothing For Whistleblowers

Editor's Note: The following is the third in a series of articles on President Joe Biden's legacy when it comes to press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. The series began in November, and the final article in the series will be published next week. When Joe

In US Court, Asheville Blade Journalists Sue Over Illegal Arrests

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support independent journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. A news co-op in North Carolina and two journalists convicted of trespassing offenses filed a federal lawsuit alleging that their constitutional rights were violated

In Unprecedented Move, Judge Keeps CIA Employee Facing Espionage Act Charges In Jail

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support independent journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. On December 11, five days after Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis ordered accused CIA leaker Asif William Rahman to be released from jail, District Judge

Unauthorized Disclosure: Shealeigh Voitl

US Senator Tom Cotton Lies About Reporter's Shield Law, Blocks Vote

Cotton is not sticking it to some “cabal of legacy media” but rather he is ensuring that the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) will continue to have an easier time targeting journalists

US Prosecutors Unable To Persuade Judge That Accused CIA Leaker Must Stay In Jail

A U.S. magistrate judge rejected the government's request to hold CIA employee Asif Rahman in jail

Biden's Legacy: Enhancing The 'State Secrets Privilege' To Protect The National Security State

As with Obama and Trump, Biden gave the public little reason to trust the government when it invokes "state secrets" to stop court cases

Democrats Responsible For Slow Death Of The PRESS Act

Unauthorized Disclosure: Chip Gibbons

Biden's Legacy: Leaving FOIA In Shambles

FOIA is just as fragile and in disrepair as it was when Biden was elected.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Andy Worthington

Jury Finds US Military Contractor CACI Guilty Of Abu Ghraib Torture

The verdict marked the first time that any U.S. military contractor was held liable for torture during the "war on terrorism."

US Supreme Court Asked To End CIA's 'Absurd' Secrecy Over Gitmo Files

Trump’s Return Poses Threat To Whistleblowers, Freedom of The Press

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech for government employees is at risk, and President Biden and Democrats are partly responsible for what happens next.

Unauthorized Disclosure: November 1 Update

City Of Columbus Ends Vindictive Campaign Against Data Breach Whistleblower

Palestinian-Owned Cafe Where I Spoke Was Attacked

Unauthorized Disclosure: Nader Ihmoud

After UK Police Raid, Journalist Asa Winstanley Focused On Stopping 'Digital Strip-Search' Of His Devices

Journalist Asa Winstanley is most concerned about stopping police from searching his devices for information that would put his sources at risk.

Barreling Toward War With Iran Is More Concerning Than A National Security Leak

Leaked US documents that show Israeli preparations for an attack on Iran stir panic, but not because officials are afraid of what Israel will do next

Unauthorized Disclosure: Gideon Levy

'Slow Torture': Israel's Detention Of Palestinian Journalists

"Journalists have endured a suffering that future generations will never forget," says Palestinian Journalists Syndicate President Nasser Abu Bakr

Former Salvadoran Colonel Living In Safe Haven In US Faces Lawsuit For Killing Dutch Journalists

Unauthorized Disclosure: What Israeli Forces Did To Five International Journalists

An exclusive update for "Unauthorized Disclosure" subscribers Next week, there will be an interview with Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy. Verso recently published a book by Levy called "The Killing of Gaza: Reports On a Catastrophe." But I spent a good portion of the week following what

US Journalist Released From Israeli Detention, Barred From Leaving Country

Police were allowed to keep reporter Jeremy Loffredo's phone and passport. He must stay in Israel until October 20.

Israel Charged American Journalist With 'Aiding The Enemy' For Reporting On Iranian Missile Strikes

Loffredo’s reporting did not “aid” Iran any more than CNN, the Telegraph, the Washington Post, or any other media organization did when reporting on Iran's strikes

The Reporting That Led Israel To Arrest, Detain, and Prosecute An American Journalist

Loffredo openly defied a Israeli military censor, which thousands of other international journalists have allowed to influence what they publish on Israel's war on Gaza

DOJ Upholds Rights Of Media To Cover Protests, Even After Dispersal Order

US-Backed Israeli Military Forces Have Executed Numerous Journalists Since October 7

The Israeli military's campaign of genocidal violence, carried out with the full support of President Joe Biden’s administration, has killed 138-175 journalists.

‘Fail Safe’ At 60: The Pentagon Hated This Classic Suspense Drama About Nuclear Catastrophe

The Pentagon sabotaged this film, which suggested that not even President Henry Fonda could prevent a nightmarish accident.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Matthew Hoh

Assange Was A Political Prisoner, Council Of Europe Parliamentarians Declare In Vote

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized that the WikiLeaks founder had been prosecuted and detained as a political prisoner.

Assange Implores European Parliamentarians To Oppose US Government's 'Transnational Repression'

It was Assange’s first public remarks about the United States Justice Department’s prosecution since his release from the Belmarsh high-security prison in London.

Julian Assange's Speech To The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

"The rights of journalists and publishers within the European space are seriously threatened. Transnational repression cannot become the norm here," Assange stated.

Israeli Ambassador Defends Shutdown Of Al Jazeera, Blocking Media Access To Gaza

Assange To Testify On Political Imprisonment For Engaging In Journalism

It will be Assange's first public testimony since he was arrested and expelled from Ecuador’s London embassy in 2019.

Losing The Narrative War: Israel Illegally Raids and Shuts Down Al Jazeera's West Bank Bureau

Israel attacks Al Jazeera and its journalists because their reporting consistently shows the truth of Israel's war and undermines its military occupation against Palestinians

Unauthorized Disclosure: The War On Gaza Made Invisible

US Court Allows Whistleblower Retaliaton Lawsuit Against Private Prison Company

UK Using Terrorism Law To Silence Journalists, Protesters Who Commit 'Speech Crimes'

Among the most well-known examples of this crackdown are the arrests of British journalist Sarah Wilkinson and British-Syrian journalist Richard Medhurst.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Lara Witt and Maya Schenwar

The Movement Media Alliance is a newly-formed "coalition of grassroots-aligned social justice-driven journalism organizations." Each organization in the coalition is committed to growing support for "accurate, transparent, accountable, principled, and just media." Joining the podcast to discuss the Movement Media Alliance and challenges for grassroots independent

FBI Sued For Withholding Files On Assange And WikiLeaks

“With the legal persecution of Julian Assange finally over, the FBI must come clean to the American people," Chip Gibbons, policy director for Defending Rights & Dissent.

The Brazen Attack On A Data Breach Whistleblower By The City Of Columbus

Following a ransomware attack on the city of Columbus, a cybersecurity specialist exposed what data was breached. The city silenced them.

Unauthorized Disclosure: UK Police Raid Journalist's Home, Scatter Mother's Ashes

Incarcerated Journalist Endures Campaign Of Retaliation From Texas Prison Officials

Texas prison officials are keeping incarcerated journalist Jeremy Busby in solitary confinement conditions. They even seized his prison tablet, a lifeline for him.

Dissenting Against Rogue Texas Prison Officials

The latest dissenter to be subjected to mistreatment and abuse for raising their voice is incarcerated journalist Jeremy Busby.

Poultry Manufacturer Perdue Seeks To Dismantle Tribunals For Whistleblower Complaints

Emboldened by a recent US Supreme Court decision, Perdue Farms contends the Labor Department's whistleblower review process is unconstitutional.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Jeff Schuhrke

Chicago Police Arrest Several Journalists While Cracking Down On DNC Protest

"Why are you arresting press?" independent reporter Talia Jane and numerous others chanted as police arrested credentialed journalists covering DNC protests

Unauthorized Disclosure: Andy Thayer

Please enjoy this episode of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. Typically available to paid subscribers of The Dissenter, it was unlocked for free subscribers. In this interview for the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast, host Kevin Gosztola is joined by Andy Thayer, a longtime activist and organizer in the

How Chicago Police Respond To DNC Protests Will Impact Reporters' Freedom

Reporters covering DNC protests should be prepared for potential interference or attacks from Chicago police as they try to do their jobs.

NYPD Weaponizes Hate Crimes Law Against A Journalist

Press freedom and First Amendment groups immediately condemned this extraordinary attack on journalism

US Court Rules Against Warrantless Border Searches Of Cellphones

No appeals court had taken the position that warrantless border searches were unconstitutional. The court took an overdue step forward and defended travelers' rights.

Illegal Raids Against Kansas Newspaper: Special Prosecutors Clear Police, Officials

"Evidence strongly suggests" police and law enforcement officials believed they were "investigating criminal acts," special prosecutors claimed

Unauthorized Disclosure: Cira Pascual Marquina

US Still Won't Comply With Spanish Investigation Into CIA-Backed Operation That Targeted Assange

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber with this special offer and support independent journalism on press freedom. The United States government notified a Spanish criminal court that it still will not comply with requests from Spanish investigators, who are trying to

Unauthorized Disclosure: Wanda Bertram

El Salvador Media Outlet Seeks To Revive Lawsuit Against Israeli Spyware Developer

Washington Welcomes Journalist Slayer Benjamin Netanyahu

The staggering number of journalists killed in the Israeli government’s war on Gaza must be front and center as the Israeli prime minister visits Washington.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Juan Betancourt and Larry Hebert

On this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" episode, host Kevin Gosztola talks with Juan Betancourt and Larry Hebert, who are both United States Air Force members who applied to become "conscientious objectors."  Juan and Larry were moved to apply for "conscientious objector" status when

State Of Virginia Is (Still) Hiding Execution Tapes

US Prosecutors Secure Guilty Plea In First-Of-Its-Kind Espionage Act Case Involving Drone Photography

The prosecution carries implications for the right to engage in photography or gather news.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For July 12

In this episode, which is available exclusively for subscribers, Kevin Gosztola asks Rania Khalek for her belated reaction to Julian Assange's release from prison. She was away on vacation when the Assange case ended. Kevin and Rania also discuss another story that blew up during her vacation, which

US Court Defends Right To Communicate With Federal Prisoners—And Advocate For Them

U.S. court orders Federal Bureau of Prisons to restore a prison reform advocate's electronic messaging access at six facilities

Tracking Dissent: US Officials Who Have Resigned Over The War on Gaza

Until Israel's assault on Gaza ends, this page will be a resource for tracking U.S. government officials and military officers who resign in protest

Unauthorized Disclosure: Dissenting Against The War On Gaza

Twelve U.S. government officials and military officers, who resigned from President Biden's administration, united around a statement against the United States government's continued support for Israel's war on Gaza. In this video, Kevin Gosztola celebrates their dissent and opposition and highlights each official

Inside The Assange Plea Deal: Why The US Government Abruptly Ended The Case

US prosecutors brushed aside calls to end the case against the WikiLeaks founder—until a British appeals court granted a hearing on the First Amendment.

The End Of The Biggest Press Freedom Case Of The Century

A global effort by advocates, campaigners, journalists, organizers, and supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pushed President Joe Biden’s administration to finally free Assange.

Why Is A Stanford Student Reporter Still Facing Felony Charges?

A coalition demands that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office abandon felony charges against a student journalist at Stanford University

Florida Prison Officials Ban Issue Of Socialist Newspaper Over Photo Of Dead Israeli

Unauthorized Disclosure: Dave DeCamp

This week, Dave DeCamp, the news editor for Antiwar.com and host of the daily podcast "Antiwar News", appears on "Unauthorized Disclosure" to discuss the latest in the war in Ukraine and a list that a United States State Department-linked group put together, which smeared Antiwar

Mississippi News Outlet Asks State Supreme Court To Stop Former Governor's Attack On Journalism

Mississippi Today appealed a court decision ordering the news outlet to provide "newsgathering materials" to former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant

Unauthorized Disclosure: David Beito

On this week's podcast episode, David Beito, the author of The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights: FDR's Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance, joined the show to discuss his book.  David is a history professor at the University of Alabama, and

Stanford Newspaper Reporter Arrested While Covering Demonstration Against Israel's War On Gaza

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber with this special offer and support independent journalism on press freedom. A reporter for Stanford University’s student newspaper The Daily was arrested and “falsely imprisoned on $20,000 bail” in violation of their rights,

Espionage Act Case Against Chinese Student For Drone Photography Could Have First Amendment Implications

It also seems that Chinese student Fengyun Shi was only charged because of his nationality.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For May 31

Newspaper In Kansas That Faced Illegal Police Raid Backs National Reporter's Shield Law

The PRESS Act has been waiting for markup by the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Sen. Dick Durbin.

Seeking Justice From The ICC For Journalists Killed In Israel's War On Gaza

Unauthorized Disclosure: Mohamed Elmaazi

Israeli Government Seizes AP's Media Equipment In Latest Act Of Censorship

AP called it "an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law"

US Effort To Extradite Assange Hits Roadblock As British High Court Grants Appeal

It was the first positive court decision for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in quite a while.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright

What To Know About Assange's Next Hearing On May 20

Judge Jails Australia War Crimes Whistleblower In 'Shameful' Attack On Press Freedom

A supreme court judge sentenced military whistleblower David McBride to five years and eight months in prison

British High Court Denies Access To Upcoming Assange Hearing

The British High Court of Justice specifically denied The Dissenter Newsletter access to the May 20 hearing in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition case.  In an order issued on May 13, the court indicated that it had considered “each individual request to attend the hearing by videolink” and that

Unauthorized Disclosure: Khawla Nakua

Leak The Report Showing Israel Has Committed War Crimes With US Weapons

Israel's Al Jazeera Ban Slams The Door On Freedom Of The Press

Journalist associations and press freedom organizations throughout the world condemned the Israeli government after the country’s parliament voted to shut down Al Jazeera.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Liz Oliva Fernández

The Biden Administration's Hypocrisy On World Press Freedom Day

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber with this special offer and support independent journalism on press freedom. United States President Joe Biden marked World Press Freedom Day by calling for the “immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been

In Case Against CACI For Abu Ghraib Torture, Judge Declares Mistrial

Iraqi torture survivors will seek a new trial

Biden Terrifyingly Grows Ranks Of Government Spies

The White House enthusiastically backed surveillance reauthorization that despite a fresh record of routine abuses expands security agencies' spying power.

CIA Director Claims Lawsuit Against Alleged CIA-Backed Spying On Assange Visitors Could Damage US Security

In December, a U.S. judge found that four Americans could sue the CIA for violating their privacy rights under the U.S. Constitution.

US Government Rejects Australia’s Call To End Assange Case, Submits 'Assurances' For Extradition

Rather than drop the charges or seek a plea deal, the U.S. government will keep fighting to put the WikiLeaks founder on trial.

US Military Contractor CACI Finally Goes On Trial For Abu Ghraib Torture

Three Iraqis who survived torture at Abu Ghraib have their day in U.S. court—two decades later

Five Years At Belmarsh: A Chronicle Of Julian Assange's Imprisonment

Calls for Assange's freedom are renewed as the WikiLeaks founder marks five years in Belmarsh prison

Biden Administration Won't Say Whether They Support Federal Shield Law For Journalists

In January, the House of Representatives passed a law to protect journalists. How come the White House doesn't want to talk about it?

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For March 29

UK High Court: Extradition Removes CIA's 'Rationale' For Assassinating Assange

The British High Court of Justice refused to consider “fresh evidence” involving the CIA's alleged plans to kidnap or kill WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Assange Extradition Delayed: UK High Court Asks US To Offer 'Assurances' Or Face Limited Appeal

While granting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a limited appeal against extradition, the US government was encouraged by the UK High Court to submit "assurances" that could prevent further proceedings.

The Wall Street Journal's Scoop On Assange Plea Deal Discussions

FBI Whistleblower Responds To US Supreme Court Decision Allowing No-Fly List Lawsuit

Support independent journalism on whistleblowing, government secrecy, and press freedom. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. In a unanimous decision on March 19, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Muslim American, who was put on the no-fly list after he refused to become an FBI informant, may pursue

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For March 15

Thanks for supporting the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast. Here's an exclusive edition of the show from host Kevin Gosztola, where he discusses the Boeing whistleblower who was found and considers whether Boeing has reached the point where it is assassinating whistleblowers now (or not). Kevin highlights

DOJ Spends Around $40 Million Every Year To Help Agencies Hide Records

The Dissenter reviewed FOIA litigation from the past fiscal year and focused on glaring instances where the Justice Department fought disclosure of information in the public interest.

Freedom Of Information: US Government Secrecy As Bad As It Was Under Trump

When it comes to the Freedom of Information Act, government secrecy under President Biden is just as bad or slightly worse than it was under President Trump.

Independent Media Collective Defeats 'Unconstitutional Antics' Of San Francisco Police

San Francisco police unlawfully tried to force Indybay to reveal the author of an article and gagged the organization from talking about it

Drone Whistleblower Subjected To Harsh Confinement Finally Released From Prison

Daniel Hale's case was part of a continuation of the U.S. government's war on whistleblowers under President Joe Biden

Judge Holds Former Fox News Correspondent In Contempt For Protecting Source

Former Fox News correspondent faces a fine of $800 per day if she does not win her appeal

Unauthorized Disclosure: Yanis Varoufakis

On this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure," Kevin Gosztola interviews Greek economist and author Yanis Varoufakis about his new book, "Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism." Yanis argues that "Big Tech has replaced capitalism's twin pillars—markets and profit—with its platforms and [cloud] rents.

UK Police Targeted Two Journalists With Surveillance Trap

The ACLU, South Carolina, and Information Control In Prisons

On February 22, the ACLU of South Carolina filed a federal lawsuit against one of the most restrictive "prison media access" policies in the United States.

Former Bush Official Doesn't See How Anyone Can Say Case Against Assange Poses Threat To Journalism

Jamil Jaffer is a former official at the U.S. Justice Department under President George W. Bush, and he is a current/former member of multiple national security think tanks populated with former officials of the CIA and Pentagon. He appeared on PBS's "Newshour" program on

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For February 23

US Government Indicts Journalist For Uncovering Unaired Parts Of Tucker Carlson's Interview With Kanye West

The U.S. Justice Department is sending a clear signal to the news media that prosecutors will not hesitate to aid a powerful or influential corporation in suppressing investigative journalism.

VIDEO: Assange Awaits Decision On Permission To Appeal

Breaking down some important moments in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's appeal hearing at the British High Court of Justice

Assange Is No 'Ordinary Journalist': US Opposes Request For Appeal

The U.S. government defended their prosecution of Assange saying he is no "ordinary journalist" and WikiLeaks is not a legitimate publisher.

Assange Appeal Hearing Plagued By Media Access Issues

Journalists trying to cover the biggest world press freedom case of the 21st century have struggled to do their jobs.

UK High Court Finally Hears Assange's Request For An Appeal

Assange's attorneys claim the WikiLeaks publisher has been prosecuted for exposing U.S. government criminality on a "massive and unprecedented scale."

VIDEO: Eve of Day X—The Assange Appeal Hearing

Kevin Gosztola, author of "Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange," discusses what is at stake for Assange in the appeal hearing before the British High Court of Justice on February 20-21. For 15 years, Kevin has been covering issues of government secrecy. He was one

UK Appeal Hearing: Assange May Die If Extradited

Although the abusive treatment Assange will likely endure in U.S. custody isn't a focus of this upcoming appeal hearing, it still matters.

UK Appeal Hearing: The Passage of Time In Assange's Case

Assange’s legal team will ask the British High Court of Justice to grapple with the “lapse of time” that has made extradition “unjust and oppressive.

UK Appeal Hearing: Assange's Right To A Fair Trial

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team has asked the British High Court of Justice to reassess the risks that extradition poses to his right to a fair trial.

Unauthorized Disclosure: John Kiriakou

UK Appeal Hearing: US Suggests Assange Has No First Amendment Rights

The lead U.S. prosecutor in the case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange raised the idea that the U.S. may argue Assange has no First Amendment rights.

UK Appeal Hearing: Assange & The 'Political Offense' Exception

The legal team for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange contends a British district court erred when it failed to recognize that the US extradition request was an "abuse of process."

In Lawsuit Against Spying On Assange Visitors, CIA Will Invoke 'State Secrets Privilege'

UK Appeal Hearing: Denying Assange's Freedom Of Expression

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asserts that extradition to the United States would be a “flagrant denial” of his rights to freedom of expression because the charges criminalize journalism.

UK Appeal Hearing: Assange Prosecution Is Politically Motivated

The legal team for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has long maintained that the “political opinions and political actions” of Assange led to his prosecution.

UK Appeal Hearing: Unprecedented Espionage Act Charges Against Assange

Assange's legal team argues extradition should be barred because the Espionage Act has never been used to prosecute a journalist or publisher

UK Appeal Hearing: CIA Reportedly Plotted To Kill Assange

To extradite Assange would undermine his right to life and right to be free from inhuman treatment, his legal team argues

Unauthorized Disclosure: Patrick Winn

What They Were Hiding: Increased Solitary Confinement In Immigrant Detention Facilities

Tracking what U.S. government agencies do not want the public to know when they try to thwart Freedom of Information Act requests for records

'Terrorism Enhancement' Applied Against Ex-CIA Programmer For Leaking Represents A Stark Development

A United States judge applied a “terrorism enhancement” when sentencing former CIA programmer Joshua Schulte, who was convicted of disclosing "Vault 7" materials to WikiLeaks.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For February 2

Biden Justice Department Makes An Example Out Of IRS Whistleblower

President Joe Biden's campaign seized on IRS whistleblower Charles Littlejohn's revelations about Trump's tax returns. Instead of honoring Littlejohn, the Justice Department sought one of the harshest prison sentences ever.

In Leak Prosecutions, US Government Treats Use Of Privacy Tools As Criminal Activity

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support independent journalism in defense of press freedom. In Espionage Act prosecutions involving leaks, attorneys at the United States (DOJ) consistently treat the use of privacy tools as evidence of criminality. This tendency should

Project Censored Radio: Assange Update—Plus, Book Conversation At Red Emma's

A recent episode of Project Censored's radio show featured a book conversation with Kevin Gosztola and an interview on developments in Julian Assange's case

Unauthorized Disclosure: Matthew Hoh

*Exclusive episode unlocked for all subscribers and readers of The Dissenter. For access to all episodes, subscribe to the show. Subscribe To Unauthorized Disclosure "Unauthorized Disclosure" is back for another season in 2024! We kick the year off with a show regular, Matthew Hoh, who is a former

Sixty Years Of ‘Dr. Strangelove’: A Nuclear War Planner On The Nightmare Comedy

The nightmare comedy in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece remains as razor-sharp as ever with the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight.

Texas Drone Restrictions Opposed By Journalists Once Again Upheld By US Appeals Court

A U.S. district court previously determined that the Texas drone restrictions were overbroad, underinclusive, and prone to arbitrary enforcement against journalists.

In Assange’s Darkest Hour, Committee To Protect Journalists Yet Again Excludes Him From Jailed Journalist Index

Please enjoy this exclusive article made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a paid subscriber and support independent journalism on whistleblowing, government secrecy, and press freedom. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its census report for 2023. Three hundred and twenty detained or imprisoned journalists were counted

US House Of Representatives Passes Reporter's Shield Law—Again

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, where it has the support of Senators Ron Wyden, Mike Lee, and Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

US Judge Rules In Favor Of Police 'Buffer Law' Viewed As Threat To Rights Of Journalists

"The law has many legitimate applications,” Judge Damon R. Leichty stated. "Any effect on speech is minimal and incidental only."

US Appeals Court Restores Anti-Whistleblower 'Ag-Gag' Laws In Iowa

The appeals court decision was celebrated by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

After Another Incident, Boeing Whistleblower Warns Against Corporation's Requests For 'Safety Exemptions'

“There’s lots of requests for engineering exemptions, which is really shocking," declared Boeing whistleblower Ed Pierson

Coalition Urges Appeals Court To End Secrecy Around FBI Raid Against Florida-Based Journalist

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support independent journalism today. A coalition of civil liberties and press freedom organizations in the United States demanded that a federal appeals court force the U.S. Justice Department to be transparent about why

From Prison, Assange Expresses Regret That WikiLeaks Can No Longer Expose War Crimes

"WikiLeaks is no longer able to expose war crimes and corruption as in the past," according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Israel’s War On Gaza: In Memory Of Palestinian Journalists Killed In 2023

The death toll for Palestinian journalists in Gaza killed in the Israeli military’s assault and siege on Gaza has been staggering. They have largely been killed by weapons provided by the United States government, and at least a dozen more were confirmed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to have

Unauthorized Disclosure: Last Show of 2023

Thank you to subscribers for sticking with us and supporting the podcast in 2023! In the final show of the year, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola celebrate making it through ten seasons of the podcast. They make an announcement about continuing the show in 2024, and then spend most of

US Press Freedom Tracker: Reporters Criminalized For 'Routine Journalism' In 2023

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a project of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, documented several incidents in 2023, where reporters were criminalized for “routine journalism."

Judge Rules Assange Visitors May Sue CIA For Allegedly Violating Privacy

Support independent journalism on press freedom, whistleblowers, and government secrecy. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter today. A federal judge ruled that four American attorneys and journalists, who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange while he was in the Ecuador embassy in London, may sue the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for

'Day X Is Here': Assange Granted Hearing That May Be Last Opportunity To Stop Extradition

The United Kingdom’s High Court of Justice granted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a final appeal hearing that will be held on Feb. 20-21, 2024.

Resolution In US Congress Calls For End To Assange Case As Extradition Nears

Thanks for being a paid subscriber to The Dissenter. The following is an exclusive article. But while billing is paused in December, exclusive articles published this month are available to everyone. Become a paid subscriber and support independent journalism on whistleblowing, government secrecy, and press freedom. A resolution in support

Unauthorized Disclosure: Project Censored's Mickey Huff & Andy Lee Roth

Each year, Project Censored puts out a yearbook called "State of the Free Press" that contains a list of the top censored stories of the past year. It also assesses prevailing and troubling trends in the United States news media. Mickey Huff, the director of Project Censored, and

Ten More Palestinian Journalists Killed In Gaza By Israeli Military

Kevin Gosztola continues his video series paying tribute to journalists killed in Gaza.

TUNE IN: Second Belmarsh Tribunal For Assange In DC

A second Belmarsh tribunal in Washington, DC, at the National Press Club will expand on the case for freeing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at 2pm ET. It was organized by Progressive International, with support from several press freedom organizations. The tribunal will be chaired by Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now!

Unauthorized Disclosure: Azadeh Shahshahani

Thanks for subscribing to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. For this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Azadeh Shahshahani to the show. Azadeh is the legal and advocacy director for Project South and a past president of the National Lawyers Guild.

Israel's War On Gaza: Honoring The First Ten Palestinian Journalists Killed

Paying tribute to the first ten Palestinian journalists that were killed by the Israeli military back in October

Police Secrecy Hits A Snag After Florida Supreme Court Decision

The Florida Supreme Court rejected an effort by the state’s largest police union to prevent the disclosure of the names of officers involved in shootings.

Unauthorized Disclosure: December 1 Subscriber Show

US Says If CIA-Backed Embassy Security Opened Phones Of Assange Visitors, It Was Constitutional

“There are several cases,” U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea argued, “that say that by giving your phone to someone else, you have relinquished your expectation of privacy.”

Unauthorized Disclosure: Ben Norton

JFK Assassination: What US Government Is Still Hiding Sixty Years Later

The following is an exclusive article for paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Thanks for supporting independent journalism on government secrecy, press freedom, and whistleblowing. While today marks sixty years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the United States government continues to keep secret anywhere from 2,000-5,000

Lawsuit Against Alleged CIA Spying On Assange Visitors: A Rare Court Hearing

A federal judge pushed back when a government attorney refused to confirm or deny whether the CIA had engaged in warrantless surveillance

Australian Whistleblower Who Exposed War Crimes In Afghanistan Forced To Plead Guilty

The following is an exclusive article from The Dissenter Newsletter. Thank you for supporting independent journalism on whistleblowers, press freedom, and government secrecy. Deprived of a public interest defense by an Australian court, former military lawyer and whistleblower David McBride pleaded guilty to offenses that stemmed from his disclosure of

Reporter Arrested At East Palestine Train Derailment Press Conference Sues Police

“I’m bringing this lawsuit because journalists should be able to cover newsworthy matters without fear of arrest or retaliation,” NewsNation reporter Evan Lambert declared.

Bipartisan Group Of Congress Members To Biden: Don't Extradite Assange

The letter represents the largest congressional effort to date raising concerns with the ongoing prosecution of Assange.

Unauthorized Disclosure: November 10 (Subscriber Show)

It's good to be back after a two-month hiatus. Kevin Gosztola took some personal time as a new dad, and Rania Khalek has been busy in Beirut and at BreakThrough News grappling with the apocalyptic violence inflicted upon Gaza by the Israeli government. In this exclusive for subscribers,

Israel's Assault on Gaza: Growing Dissent At the US State Department

Two whistleblowers, who previously resigned from positions at the State Department, share their reactions to this dissent.

Alabama Prosecutor Criminalizes Journalists For Publishing 'Grand Jury Evidence'

The arrests were roundly condemned by press freedom organizations in the United States.

Detained Under UK Terrorism Law, Whistleblower Says Police Questioned His Support For Assange

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, government secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. On his way back home from Iceland, British whistleblower and former diplomat Craig Murray was stopped by police and interrogated at Scotland's Glasgow Airport under Schedule 7 of the United Kingdom

Fighting To Uncover Secrets Of the Cold War Surveillance State

Consortium News Sues NewsGuard, US Government For Alleged Defamation

Consortium News sued the United States government and NewsGuard Technologies for allegedly defaming the independent media organization and violating the organization’s First Amendment rights. A complaint [PDF] filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York claims that the Pentagon's U.S.

As Israel’s Violence Against Palestinians Reaches Catastrophic Proportions, Washington Remains Firmly Gripped by War Mania

Palestinians are dying in a war funded by the U.S. government. Anyone who questions the human toll of this war is perversely demonized as a "terrorist" supporter.

The FBI’s Material Support for Israeli Apartheid Against Palestinians

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, government secrecy, and the national security state. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip has entered its sixth day. The Israeli military has launched a massive bombardment with airstrikes killing over 1,000 Palestinians. This is far from

In Hunting WikiLeaks, How Wide Was The National Security State’s Net?

When it comes to their war on WikiLeaks, there is strong reason to believe that the three-letter agencies didn’t stop at its founder. The question is: how far beyond Assange did they go?

Australian, Latin American Leaders Demand End To Assange Prosecution During US Trips

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, government secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. The continued prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the potential to create serious diplomatic problems for the United States. Last week, during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, two

What We Must Ask About Surveillance State Failures

Understanding the depths of the FBI’s intelligence powers, as well as how the FBI deploys them. This week's guest post from Chip Gibbons.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders And The Lies She Spread About People 'Weaponizing FOIA'

Hiding travel records by changing the state's decades-old open records law

Right Before 9/11, FBI Counterterrorism Agents Were Busy Snooping In Anarchists' Trash

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For September 8

Thank you for subscribing to the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast. Please enjoy this exclusive episode. In this week's episode, Kevin Gosztola and Rania Khalek record their last show before Kevin goes on paternity leave (!!!). They discuss the extraordinary and fascistic RICO charges issued by the state of Georgia against

Blinken, Assange, And The 20th Anniversary Of The Palestine Hotel Bombing

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, government secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber today. When Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Australia in August, he was, as expected, asked about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Blinken confirmed that he discussed the Assange case with his Australian counterpart Foreign Minister Penny

US Government Sued For Hiding Information On Afghan Refugees In Detention Camps

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, government secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Muslim Advocates sued multiple United States government agencies that have refused to produce key information on thousands of Afghan refugees still living in limbo at secretive

GoFundMe Stops Grayzone News Website From Using Service

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe halted a fundraiser for the news website the Grayzone and refused to transfer over $90,000 raised to the organization. When Grayzone editor-in-chief Max Blumenthal requested an explanation on August

Unauthorized Disclosure: Andy Worthington

The US Supreme Court's Failure To Protect Press Freedom

Journalist Sues Over Gag Rules At County Jail In Pennsylvania

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. Journalist Brittany Hailer has sued a county jail in Pennsylvania for "strictly enforcing" gag rules against prisoners and the jail's employees and contractors. Hailer claims the rules allegedly violate her

'Problem Patients': How Dialysis Corporations Deal With Sick People Who Challenge Their Malpractice

This was an exclusive post for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. It was unlocked for all readers on August 28, 2023. If you are able to support independent journalism on whistleblowers, become a subscriber. Kidneys are crucial to the human body. They remove waste and excess fluid, and when they

About This Talk Of A Possible Plea Deal For Assange

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter or buy a copy of Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange. It has been 13 years since WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange first obtained and published hundreds of thousands of documents from

'These Are Hitler Tactics': Illegal Police Raids Effectively Shut Down Kansas Newspaper

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. Joan Meyer, the 98-year-old co-owner of the Marion County Record in Kansas, had worked at the newspaper for over 50 years. She died after the newspaper was targeted in illegal police raids on August

Unauthorized Disclosure: Micah Herskind

Thanks for your support. Enjoy early access to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. Micah Herskind, an organizer and writer based in Atlanta, joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss the latest with the movement to "Stop Cop City." During the episode, Micah grapples with the

Secret Police: One Department In Virginia Is Trying To Hide The Names Of Most Officers

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. A police department in Virginia has twisted the state’s freedom of information law to try and block the names of officers from being shared with OpenOversightVA, a group of volunteer researchers who maintain

Judge Orders Former Fox News Reporter To Reveal Confidential Source

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter. A United States judge upheld a subpoena requiring former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge to reveal the identity of a confidential source, who allegedly committed a Privacy Act violation against Chinese American scientist Yanping

Ten Years After The US Military Verdict Against Chelsea Manning

Support independent journalism on whistleblowers, secrecy, and press freedom-related issues. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter with this 60-day free trial. It was ten years ago that a United States military judge found Pfc. Chelsea Manning guilty of violating the Espionage Act, along with several other related offenses. She was

Unauthorized Disclosure: July 28 Subscriber Show

Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are back with another "Unauthorized Disclosure" episode for subscribers. In this episode, Rania and Kevin react to the extreme weather occurring globally and respond to those who respond to these discussions with climate denialism. They highlight a report from journalist Hannah Beckler on

Railroad Whistleblower Says Union Pacific Fired Him After Posting TikTok Videos

The following is an exclusive for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Exclusive content is shared with all readers during July. If you appreciate what you read, become a subscriber with this 60-day free trial. A former Union Pacific locomotive engineer says he was the target of whistleblower retaliation, which resulted

What's Next In Julian Assange's Case?

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his legal team believe that Assange may be extradited to the United States before the end of summer. It is unfortunately time for us to prepare for court proceedings, and so far, you came through for us marvelously. I am so grateful to our readers

CIA-Linked Security Company Targeted Former Ecuador President Who Granted Assange Asylum

Support independent journalism on the case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Become a subscriber of The Dissenter with this 60-day free trial. In addition to targeting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a CIA-linked private security company based in Spain allegedly spied on former Ecuador president Rafael Correa. Spanish newspaper El País

The Pentagon's Stunning Negligence With Sensitive Email

The following is an exclusive for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Exclusive content is accessible to all readers during July. If you appreciate what you read, become a subscriber with this 60-day free trial. The Pentagon often makes a big deal out of “insider threats,” when leaks from low-level United

Unauthorized Disclosure: Zoe Alexandra

In this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola speak with Zoe Alexandra, a contributor with People's Dispatch. Zoe discusses the turmoil that has been unfolding around Guatemala's elections. She comments on the appointment of Latin America "dirty war&

US Watchdog Validates Whistleblower Claims Against Agriculture Department's Largest Research Facility

The following is an exclusive for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Exclusive content is accessible to all readers during July. If you appreciate what you read, become a subscriber with this 60-day free trial. A permanent oversight agency in the United States government instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Unauthorized Disclosure Rewind: Daniel Ellsberg

In July, enjoy free access to new "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast posts. If you appreciate the show, become a subscriber for $4/month. In June, we said farewell to Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. He was interviewed on this podcast twice. From the "Unauthorized Disclosure" archives, we

US Prison Allegedly Tortured Prisoners In Retaliation

The following is an exclusive for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Exclusive content is accessible to all readers during July. If you appreciate what you read, become a subscriber with this 60-day free trial. A new report documents civil rights abuses, including torture, that allegedly occurred at a United States

In Assange Case, Disaffected Journalists Reject FBI Requests To Aid Prosecution

U.S. prosecutors have quite a struggle ahead if they hope to convince journalists frustrated with Assange’s behavior to aid them in their attack on freedom of the press.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Norman Solomon

UK Police Copied Publisher's Phone Data After Stopping Them Under Anti-Terrorism Law

Clarence Thomas Encourages Constitutional Challenge To Whistleblower Law

United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas effectively invited corporations accused of fraud to bring a constitutional challenge against the False Claims Act, which could dismantle a law that whistleblowers have depended on for over a century. On June 16, Thomas issued a dissenting opinion in a case that involved

Unauthorized Disclosure: John Kiriakou

This post was unlocked for the public. All full episodes are available early for paid subscribers. Returning to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast, CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou helps Kevin Gosztola what will happen next to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Many believe extradition to the United States could be

The Media Delusion That Daniel Ellsberg Blew The Whistle The 'Right Way'

The following independent journalism was made possible by paid subscribers. Take advantage of this discount offer and support The Dissenter Newsletter. *Below is a written version of the above video. Pentagon Papers whistleblower and longtime peace activist Daniel Ellsberg died at the age of 92 on June 16. Several U.

Barred From Considering First Amendment, Jury In North Carolina Convicts Reporters Of 'Trespassing'

The Loving Truth-Teller That Was Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower and peace activist who released the Pentagon Papers that exposed the Vietnam War, has died at the age of 92. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on February 17, and doctors gave him three to six months to live. He was a subscriber to The Dissenter

New Research Examines Restrictions On Incarcerated Journalists In US Prisons

A briefing from the Prison Policy Initiative documents many of the restrictions that prisons in the United States impose to prevent journalism from incarcerated individuals. Fourteen states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia—have a “total

LIVE: Unauthorized Disclosure Broadcast At 12pm ET For Subscribers

The Espionage Act Is Not The Answer To Donald Trump

The following independent journalism was made possible by paid subscribers. Take advantage of this discount offer and support The Dissenter Newsletter today. While the United States Justice Department has increasingly wielded the Espionage Act to make an example out of government employees or contractors, federal prosecutors have been reluctant to

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show for June 9

Hello, For this week's show, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola highlight the unbelievable news that Trump was indicted under the Espionage Act. Then they spend half of the show discussing the marathon public comment session in Atlanta by organizers committed to stopping "Cop City." The Atlanta

Justice Severely Delayed and Denied: UK High Court Rejects Assange's Request For Appeal After Nearly A Year

The following independent journalism was made possible by paid subscribers. Take advantage of this discount offer and support The Dissenter Newsletter today. The United Kingdom’s High Court of Justice rejected WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States. A three-page decision was issued by one

The FBI’s Role In the War on WikiLeaks

Defending Rights and Dissent project director Chip Gibbons catalogs the FBI's history of investigating Julian Assange and targeting WikiLeaks

Attorneys, Journalists Who Visited Assange Respond To CIA Push To Dismiss Their Lawsuit Against Alleged Spying

The following independent journalism was made possible by paid subscribers. Take advantage of this discount offer and support The Dissenter Newsletter today. Attorneys and journalists, who were allegedly spied on by the CIA and former CIA director Mike Pompeo, responded to the CIA and Pompeo’s arguments for dismissal of

Breakthrough In Lawsuit Against Alleged CIA Spying On Assange Visitors

The following was an exclusive article for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. It was unlocked for all readers on June 6, 2023. People like you make independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom issues possible. Take advantage of this discount offer and become a paid subscriber today. Four American attorneys

June Update For Paid Subscribers Of The Dissenter

Unauthorized Disclosure: Matt Kennard

British Counter-Terrorism Police Detain And Interrogate British Journalist At Airport

Kit Klarenberg, a British journalist previously published by The Dissenter, was detained and interrogated by British counter-terrorism police when he arrived at the London Luton Airport on May 19. Police were particularly interested in his reports for The Grayzone and seized his electronic devices. The incident was reported by The

Film Review: Recreating The FBI's Interrogation Of Whistleblower Reality Winner

Playwright Tina Satter’s first feature film “Reality,” which premiered on HBO on May 29, shows the control that FBI agents immediately established over Winner at her relatively small home.

Kissinger Vs. 'The Most Dangerous Man In America'

“Daniel Ellsberg is the most dangerous man in America. He must be stopped at all costs.” —Henry Kissinger In 1970, before whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg shared copies of the Pentagon Papers with several newspapers in the United States, Ellsberg was invited by his friend Lloyd Shearer, who was the editor of

US Labor Agency Rejects Starbucks' Effort To Obtain Records Of Worker Communications With Media

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on press freedom and whistleblowers. Subscribe to The Dissenter Newsletter and get a 30-day free trial. A judge for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined it was unlawful for Starbucks to request records of communications between unionized

US Prosecutors' Power Under Espionage Act Grows With Teixeira Detention

Unauthorized Disclosure: Antony Loewenstein

India Accuses Reporter For Defense News Of 'Espionage'

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on secrecy, whistleblowers, and press freedom. Subscribe and get a 30-day free trial. A correspondent for Defense News was arrested in a raid by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation and accused of “collecting confidential information” about the

ICE, Homeland Security Accused Of Targeting Outspoken Migrant Worker For Deportation

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on secrecy, whistleblowers, and press freedom. Subscribe and get a 30-day free trial. Immigrant rights attorneys filed a complaint against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that alleges that ICE detained a migrant worker known for speaking

Classification Reform Bill Would Give President, Security Agencies Even More Power To Maintain Secrets

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on secrecy, whistleblowers, and press freedom. Subscribe and get a 30-day free trial. For decades, the United States Congress has allowed the White House and the wider executive branch to assert control over classified information. Members of Congress

Unauthorized Disclosure: Steven Donziger

Whether You Consider Julian Assange A Journalist Matters

Kevin Gosztola, journalist and author of the book Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange, argues that it actually does matter whether you recognize that the WikiLeaks founder is a journalist—or not. Not only did Assange engage in journalism, but he clearly was a journalist and currently

Atlanta Photojournalist Arrested While Covering 'Black Lives Matter' Protests Receives Settlement

NYPD Arrest Photojournalist Who Was Covering Their Response To 'Justice For Jordan Neely' Vigil

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on press freedom and whistleblowers. Here's a 30-day free trial for new subscribers. Independent photojournalist Stephanie Keith, who was covering the New York Police Department’s response to a planned “Justice for Jordan Neely” vigil, was

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For May 5

After Years Of Refusing To Comment, State Department Backs Assange Prosecution

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom and become a subscriber with this limited offer for World Press Freedom Week. On World Press Freedom Day, the United States State Department abandoned its policy of not commenting on the case against

US Double Standards On World Press Freedom Day

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom. Subscribe to The Dissenter. For the United States government, World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to further project an image of the U.S. as a supposed champion of journalism and human

US Government Jails Leakers Before Trial Because They 'Know' Classified Information

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For April 28

The Myth Of Daniel Ellsberg As The 'Good Leaker'

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom and become a subscriber. Even as Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg closes in on the end of an incredible and impactful life, the Washington Post and the pundit class still cannot resist using

Unauthorized Disclosure: Eugene Puryear

North Carolina Judge Convicts Journalists Of 'Trespassing' While Covering Eviction Of Homeless Encampment

A judge in North Carolina found two journalists with the Asheville Blade guilty of “trespassing” on Christmas in 2021 when they stayed in a public park to cover Asheville police as officers evicted a homeless encampment. Veronica Coit and Matilda Bliss were “sentenced to pay $25 fines and court costs.

Why The US Justice Department Was Lenient In Charging Pentagon Documents Leaker

UK Police Arrest French Publisher For Refusing To Share Pass Codes For Phone

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom and become a subscriber. British police invoked terrorism law in the United Kingdom to question and later arrest a French publisher over his alleged involvement in protests in France. Ernest Moret is the

Loyola University New Orleans Punishes Student Reporter For Engaging In Journalism

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom and become a subscriber. UPDATE: On April 18, hours after this article was published, Loyola University New Orleans administrators reversed course, abandoned their effort to punish the student, and even apologized. More here.

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For April 14

Friday Coffee #7

Air National Guardsman Arrested For Pentagon Documents Leak Will Likely Face Espionage Act Charges

A 21-year-old reservist in the United States Air National Guard suspected of leaking Pentagon documents to an invite-only group on Discord was arrested by the FBI outside his home in North Dighton, Massachusetts. Jack Teixeira was not immediately charged with a crime, however, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated

Politicians In UK, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico Demand US Drop Charges Against Assange On Fourth Anniversary Of His Arrest

The following article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Support independent journalism on whistleblowers and press freedom and become a paid subscriber. Elected politicians in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom signed on to letters to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding that the Justice Department

Charging A WSJ Reporter With Espionage For Collecting 'State Secrets'

Belmarsh Warden Blocks Assange From Meeting With Representatives Of Press Freedom Organization

The warden of Her Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh blocked representatives with the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) from visiting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, despite previously reviewing RSF's request and agreeing to grant access. Rebecca Vincent, the director of operations and campaigns for RSF, declared, “We followed

April Update For Paid Subscribers Of The Dissenter

Daniel Ellsberg Says He Once Gave The New York Times Documents That They Didn't Print

Australia Court Rules Whistleblower Protection Law Does Not Protect Whistleblower Richard Boyle

TUNE IN: Stella Assange, Stefania Maurizi, and Kevin Gosztola In Berlin

Disruption Network Lab hosts a panel, "Targeted By Surveillance: Julian Assange, WikiLeaks & Networked Repression"

In Push To Dismiss Lawsuit, CIA Says Americans Who Visited Assange Had No Privacy Rights

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. To support journalism on whistleblowers and related press freedom issues, become a subscriber. The Central Intelligence Agency and former CIA director Mike Pompeo contend that attorneys and journalists, who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, had no “legitimate expectation of privacy”

The Beginning Of The Iraq War: March 19, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 18, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 17, 2003

A Presumption Of Secrecy: Defying Sunshine In Government

In 2017, Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold submitted a Freedom of Information request for “photographed copies of all artwork created by Guantanamo detainees.” Leopold waited about five years before United States Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM, fulfilled the request. The joint command removed portions of hundreds of paintings, invoking an exemption for

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 16, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 15, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 14, 2003

March to Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 13, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 12, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 11, 2003

Unauthorized Disclosure: Brian Becker

Friday Coffee #6

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 10, 2003

Hearing Brings Attention To US Agency's Effort To Compel Twitter To Identify Journalists Working On 'Twitter Files'

A hearing convened by a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee brought further attention to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) effort to compel Twitter to identify “all journalists and other members of the media” who have had access to any files from Twitter. Matt Taibbi, the most prominent journalist

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 9, 2003

US Still Trying To Bury 'Collateral Murder' Video That WikiLeaks Released

There is no shortage of activists, journalists, academics, and people of conscience who have some story to share about the impact of the “Collateral Murder” video. The U.S. military footage of an Apache helicopter crew shooting indiscriminately at a dozen Iraqi civilians — including Reuters journalists Namir Noor Eldeen and

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 8, 2003

A Conversation With Daniel Ellsberg: 'Guilty Of Journalism' Book Launch

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 7, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 6, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 5, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 4, 2003

The Dissenter Newsletter recalls each day in the timeline of events that led up to the US invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003, twenty years ago

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For March 3

TUNE IN: Belmarsh Tribunal In Sydney, Australia

About a month and a half after Progressive International is convening a Belmarsh Tribunal in Sydney, Australia, a month and a half after a similar event in Washington, D.C. The event will begin at 7pm Sydney time. Above is the video for the live stream that will archive and

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 3, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 2, 2003

The Difficulty of Destiny: 'Ithaka' And A Father's Struggle For His Son's Freedom

“I don’t much like media,” mutters John Shipton, the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. During the first minutes of “Ithaka,” an Australia documentary that follows John as he campaigns for his son’s freedom, it becomes clear that he is not someone who is accustomed to appearing on

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: March 1, 2003

Denmark Justice Minister Approves Secret Charges Against Former Defense Minister Who Discussed NSA Spying With The Press

Denmark’s justice minister approved charges against a former defense minister who prosecutors had previously sought to criminalize for leaking to the press. The minister intends to pursue the entire case behind closed doors. The penalty for leaking state secrets is typically up to 12 years in prison, however, the

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 28, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 27, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 26, 2003

Whistleblowers In Film: 'Three Days Of The Condor' (1975)

By September 1975, when “Three Days of the Condor” was released, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been exposed for spying on thousands of antiwar and Black liberation activists. The CIA had been implicated in the coup in Chile that resulted in the assassination of socialist President Salvador Allende. CIA

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 25, 2003

Unauthorized Disclosure: Kari Lydersen

Thanks for supporting the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast. We could do not do this show without you. Kari Lydersen, a Chicago-based reporter, author, and journalist instructor, joins the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast to discuss her feature story for In These Times, "The Case For Nationalizing the Railroads." Lydersen has covered

Friday Coffee #5

Dissenter Newsletter editor Kevin Gosztola ends the week with a cup of coffee and talks to paid subscribers. He highlights the first book event he did for Guilty of Journalism, which was on Student Press Freedom Day. He also tries to make sense of the news that a United States

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 24, 2003

March To Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 23, 2003

LuxLeaks Whistleblower Wins Case Before Europe's Top Human Rights Court

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more independent journalism. The grand chamber of the European Court of Human Rights recently ruled in favor of a whistleblower who worked for the multinational accounting conglomerate PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and

March to Iraq War, 20 Years Later: February 22, 2003

March To War In Iraq, 20 Years Later: February 21, 2003

March to War In Iraq, 20 Years Later: February 20, 2003

March to War In Iraq, 20 Years Later: February 19, 2003

Unauthorized Disclosure: Ollie Vargas

Friday Coffee #4

Biden Administration Quiet As Modi Raids BBC Offices Same Day Of Boeing Deal

Weaponizing 'Whistleblowing' To Shut Down Medical Care For Transgender Youth

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more independent journalism. To further their nationwide efforts to restrict access to transgender health care, Republicans in the state of Missouri have deployed a former case worker at Washington University’

Unauthorized Disclosure: Subscriber Show For February 10

Friday Coffee #3

Whistleblowers Who Exposed LabCorp Kickback Scheme Win $19 Million Settlement

Justice Department Fights Lawsuit Over Secret JFK Files

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more independent journalism. The United States Justice Department (DOJ) will fight a lawsuit intended to force President Joe Biden and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to release records

Unauthorized Disclosure: Medea Benjamin & Ann Wright

This is a free version of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. Subscribe to the podcast and get 10 days free. Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK co-founder and co-author of War In Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, and Ann Wright, a CODEPINK member, retired Army colonel, and former State Department

Swedish Prosecutors Destroyed Assange Documents

Swedish prosecutors destroyed copies of email correspondence related to the extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi. The documents were destroyed while Maurizi was litigating her freedom of information request, making it "highly suspicious." Maurizi uncovered this major revelation during a hearing

'Stop Cop City' Forest Defenders Deserve To Be Protected Like Whistleblowers

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more articles from guest contributors. Forest defenders in Atlanta opposing the construction of a “Cop City” deserve the same protections that many believe should be extended to whistleblowers. However, activists

Assange Visitors Renew Request For CIA To 'Purge And Destroy' Files On Them

Every Official Everywhere With Classified Documents All At Once: A Conversation With John Kiriakou

Unauthorized Disclosure: Kicking Off A 10th Season

The World Comes To DC To Demand Biden Drop The Case Against Julian Assange

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more articles from guest contributors. A group of legal experts, press freedom activists, journalists, and public figures filled a ballroom at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to

Kevin Gosztola's Remarks At The Belmarsh Tribunal In DC

Testimony for the Belmarsh Tribunal, DC, as delivered by Kevin Gosztola, author of Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange The political case against Julian Assange is primarily composed of a conspiracy theory that comes from the Central Intelligence Agency. In April 2017, during his first speech as

Lawsuit Against Alleged CIA Spying On Assange Visitors Will Be Revised

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. As the Belmarsh Tribunal gathered in Washington, DC, to make the case for freeing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, there was a development in the lawsuit against the

Kevin Gosztola On 'The Chris Hedges Report'

Chris Hedges, longtime journalist and host of “The Chris Hedges Report,” had Dissenter Newsletter curator Kevin Gosztola on his show to discuss his book, Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange. The book can be pre-ordered from Seven Stories Press. It will be released on February 21. As

TUNE IN: Belmarsh DC Tribunal - Case of Julian Assange

The Dissenter's Kevin Gosztola, along with Daniel Ellsberg, Noam Chomsky, Steven Donziger, Stella Assange, Jeffrey Sterling, and several other distinguished panelists, will be speaking as part of the Belmarsh Tribunal. The event on the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will take place at the National Press Club

Friday Coffee #2

Ana Montes: Closer To A Whistleblower Than A Dangerous Spy

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. “Ana Montes is probably the most dangerous spy that most folks have never heard of,” journalist Jim Popkin declared during an interview for “Washington Post Live” on

CIA Pushes For Dismissal Of Lawsuit Against Alleged Spying On Assange Visitors

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. The Central Intelligence Agency and former CIA director Mike Pompeo notified a federal court in New York that they intend to push for the dismissal of a

Immigrant Detention Whistleblower Sues Private Prison Corporation For Allegedly Violating Her First Amendment Rights

The following article was produced for paid subscribers . It was unlocked on January 13 for the public. Become a monthly subscriber. A Black licensed practical nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia has sued LaSalle Corrections, a Homeland Security Department (DHS) contractor and prison firm

Friday Coffee #1

EPA Conceals Text Messages From Allegedly Corrupt Official Who Whistleblowers Exposed

The following post is available to paid subscribers. Thanks for supporting The Dissenter Newsletter's whistleblower coverage. After Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whistleblowers named senior EPA official Tala Henry as one of the officials involved in tampering with the agency’s assessments of toxic chemicals, Henry became the target

Key US Allies Collaborate On Espionage Laws Considered Harmful To Whistleblowers And Journalists

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us publish more articles from guest contributors. Ministers and security officials in Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have coordinated with the United States to develop new espionage laws. Each of the

Could Julian Assange Be Released In Two Months?

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our analysis and coverage. As the new year began, ABC Global Affairs Editor John Lyons stated during a broadcast segment that he expected WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would be released

Unauthorized Disclosure: Last Episode Of 2022

Responding To Critics: Reality Winner Talks Snowden, Trump Taking Classified Documents

How NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Came To Support Prison Abolition

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. Reality Winner is an NSA whistleblower who was harshly prosecuted under the Espionage Act, but she is also more than that. She is an advocate who has

Unauthorized Disclosure: Ben Norton

Please enjoy free access to a full and uncut episode of the Unauthorized Disclosure weekly podcast typically available for only subscribers. Ben Norton, editor for Multipolarista, returns to the podcast to discuss the United States-backed coups and lawfare in Peru and Argentina. Peru President Pedro Castillo, who came from a

US Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale's Case Is 'Exactly What The Pardon Power Is For,' Says Ilhan Omar

Several supporters of drone whistleblower Daniel Hale joined United States Representative Ilhan Omar to call for the commutation of his sentence and release from federal prison. “Daniel’s case is exactly what the pardon power is for, where the letter of the law cannot capture the moral judgments that human

US Justice Department Unwilling To Bow To Pressure To Drop Charges Against Assange

Filmmakers Crowdfund To Finish Documentary On NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner

Filmmakers behind an independent documentary on NSA whistleblower Reality Winner have spent the past year struggling to secure distribution. They turned to Kickstarter in November to help them finish the film, and in a couple of weeks, they achieved their first fundraising goal. Now, director Sonia Kennebeck and producer Ines

Unauthorized Disclosure: Todd Miller

Former CIA Director's Institute Hosts Event On The Assange Case (And Madness Ensues)

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. An institution founded by former CIA director Michael V. Hayden hosted a panel on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case. They billed it as a debate

Italian Journalist's Book Chronicles Her Time As A WikiLeaks Media Partner

Unauthorized Disclosure: Biden And Democrats Block Rail Workers Strike, 'Rape Club' Prison Scandal, SF Arms Robots

Unauthorized Disclosure: Joshua Frank

Attorney: Plenty To Uncover On CIA-Backed Spying That Violated Privacy Of Assange Visitors

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. In August, a lawsuit against the CIA, former CIA director Mike Pompeo, UC Global, and UC Global director David Morales was filed that alleged Americans who visited

Sweden Expands Espionage Law, Endangering Freedom Of Journalists And Whistleblowers

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our coverage of whistleblower stories. Sweden’s parliament adopted a major espionage law expansion that will permit the country’s police to investigate journalists, publishers, and whistleblowers if they reveal

Unauthorized Disclosure: Medea Benjamin, Richard Roth

Senate Investigation: Doctor Contracted By ICE Medically Abused Dozens Of Women

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our coverage of whistleblower stories. Following an 18-month investigation, a subcommittee in the United States Senate released a report that further confirmed whistleblower allegations that female detainees in the custody

US Labor Agency's Top Lawyer Fights Corporate Spying That Discourages Whistleblowers

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly paid subscriber to help us continue our coverage of whistleblowers. The top lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the United States has come out strongly against workplace surveillance and management technology that may

Unauthorized Disclosure: 2022 Midterms Edition

Jury Orders FedEx To Pay Black Manager $366 Million For Retaliation Over Discrimination Complaint

Unauthorized Disclosure: Carey Shenkman

Carey Shenkman is a constitutional lawyer and recognized expert on the United States Espionage Act. He joins the podcast this week to discuss his book A Century of Repression: The Espionage Act and Freedom of the Press, which he co-authored with Ralph Engelman. Kevin Gosztola asks him to outline the

NSA Whistleblower Unearthed 'Project' That Targeted US Communications

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our coverage of whistleblowers. A National Security Agency whistleblower unearthed a hot-shot analyst’s unauthorized “project” that targeted the communications of citizens or persons in the United States, according to

Unauthorized Disclosure: Hadas Thier

Chelsea Manning: US Military Pressured Me To Plead Guilty To 'Aiding The Enemy'

Former CIA Director Says Prosecute Trump Like Snowden

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. Former CIA director Leon Panetta contends that former President Donald Trump should be “held accountable” and charged with violating the Espionage Act like NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The Parts Of Chelsea Manning's Book Censored By The US Government

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. The United States government censored parts of Chelsea Manning’s new book, where she attempted to describe the information she provided to WikiLeaks in 2010. Manning says

Chelsea Manning's Book Further Complicates US Government's Case Against Julian Assange

In the United States government’s case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prosecutors claim that he communicated with US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning through an encrypted chat client known as Jabber. Prosecutors highlight several alleged exchanges between Manning and a username, or handle, associated with Assange. Yet they have never

Doctors: COVID Infection And Lockdown Are Further Reason To Release Assange

Doctors For Assange sent a letter to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland and the United Kingdom Home Secretary Suella Braverman yet again expressing their concern about the deteriorating health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The coalition of over 300 doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other medical professionals have repeatedly called

More Than 1,500 Environmental Defenders Killed In A Decade

Unauthorized Disclosure: Guest Asa Winstanley

Whistleblower Lawsuit: Investment Fund Accused Of Defrauding COVID Relief Program Agrees To Pay Fine

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. An investment fund that engaged in fraud and was improperly granted two loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) settled with the United States Justice Department (DOJ)

LIVE: Hands Off Assange Rally

*Thanks to Consortium News for streaming the Hands Off Assange rally at the Justice Department. I will be speaking at a rally outside the US Justice Department, which is scheduled for 12-3pm ET. The action was organized in support of the "Surround Parliament" human chain event in London

Unauthorized Disclosure: Guest Zoe Alexandra

Manufacturing Espionage: FBI Targeted Former NSA Employee Who Had Substantial Debt

A former NSA employee was charged with violating the Espionage Act after an undercover FBI agent impersonating an representative of the Russian government convinced him to transmit secret documents via a “secure” connection that was setup by the FBI at Denver’s Union Station. Jareh Dalke, a 30-year-old man living

Unauthorized Disclosure: Jared Ware

Jared Ware, journalist and co-host of the "Millennials Are Killing Capitalism" podcast, appears on "Unauthorized Disclosure" to discuss a major prison strike unfolding in state facilities throughout Alabama. We begin with an overview of the strike, which was on its fifth day when the interview was

Snowden's Russia Citizenship: Establishment Response Illustrates Why He Hasn't Returned Home

A menagerie of Cold War liberals and neoconservative pundits with backgrounds in United States military or security agencies voiced their objections to Russia granting citizenship to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The response was not as intense as the freakout that occurred when it looked like there was a distinct possibility

Poll: Most US, UK Adults Know Nothing About Files That Assange Is Charged With Publishing

Most American and British adults do not know anything about the documents that the United States government is prosecuting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing, according to a poll by Morning Consult. Both populations are apathetic or unaware when it comes to whether Assange should be extradited and face a

White House Says Migrants 'Fleeing Communism'—Plus, Toxic Lead In Chicago Water

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola had a limited amount of time for this week's episode. Rania was in New York to cover the UN General Assembly meeting, where a number of Latin American leaders condemned US imperialism. Rania and Kevin talk a bit about some of the

Military Whistleblower Challenges Pentagon's Warrantless Purchase Of Internet Data

A United States military whistleblower filed a series of complaints alleging the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is engaged in the warrantless purchase and use of Americans’ internet browsing data, which it obtained from a broker. “According to the whistleblower, NCIS is purchasing access to data, which includes netflow records

Biogen Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Massive Kickback Scheme Ends In Huge Settlement

The following article was an exclusive for paid subscribers. It was unlocked on September 27. Become a monthly subscriber and support independent journalism on whistleblowers. In one of the largest settlements ever secured by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act, the multinational pharmaceutical corporation Biogen agreed to pay $900

US House Of Representatives Finally Passes Whistleblower Protection Bill With Access To Jury Trials

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. A whistleblower protection bill containing access to jury trials, which has long been a priority for advocates, passed in the United States House of Representatives on September

Censorship Is A Bedrock of Incarceration In The United States

US Labor Department Sues Texas Newspaper For Firing Reporter Who Complained About Bugs

Decolonizing Memories Of The Queen—Plus, EU's Self-Inflicted Energy Crisis

How We Talk About 'the Left'—Plus, Right-Wing Media Response To Trump Raid

Subscriber post unlocked for the public on September 4. Become a monthly subscriber of the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast. This week, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend some time expressing their amusement at the right-wing response to the Justice Department investigation into former President Donald Trump's possession of

Reality Winner Describes How US Justice Department Painted Her As a Terrorist Sympathizer

“Once you become property of the Department of Justice, it is the most terrifying thing in the world," says Reality Winner.

CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou On What We Learned From FBI's Mar-a-Lago Search Affidavit

Kevin Gosztola was joined by CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, who helped him go through the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search affidavit and break down what was learned. They discussed the construct of "national defense information" and storing classified information in a private residence. Both offered their responses to

Unauthorized Disclosure: We're Not Here To Grift

Staff From US Prison Behind Instagram Page That Makes Fun Of Sexual Abuse, Says Whistleblower

Interview With National Security Journalist William Arkin: FBI Faces Political Disaster

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. In 2019, longtime national security journalist William Arkin appeared on "Democracy Now!" and spoke out against liberals in the United States who believed the FBI

The Spies Curating What You See On Social Media

On this week’s “Unauthorized Disclosure” episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by journalist and MintPress News senior staff writer Alan MacLeod. Alan has spent the past few months digging through LinkedIn profiles to expose the revolving door between United States security agencies (CIA, FBI, etc) and social

14 FBI Whistleblowers Have Not Come Forward Since Agents Searched Trump's Estate

Welcome To The New Home For Unauthorized Disclosure

Judge Assigned To Lawsuit Alleging CIA Spied On Assange Visitors Previously Upheld WikiLeaks' Right To Publish

Judge John Koeltl, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, was assigned to a lawsuit filed on behalf of journalists and attorneys, who claim the CIA and former CIA director Mike Pompeo spied on them when they visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Attorney Richard Roth, who is

CIA, Pompeo Sued For Allegedly Spying On US Attorneys And Journalists Who Met With Assange

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. A group of journalists and lawyers, who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange while he was living under political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy, sued the CIA and

Responses Among The Left To FBI Raid Against Trump

Justice Department Unlikely To Charge Trump With Violating The Espionage Act

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. *Article was updated on August 12 to reflect further developments. Mary McCord, who was the chief of the United States Justice Department’s national security division under

If US Congress Really Wants To Protect FBI Whistleblowers

The Fallout From Pelosi's Taiwan Trip, Plus FBI Raids Black Liberation Group

Green Party Candidate Matthew Hoh On Democrats Undermining Democracy, Pelosi's Trip To Taiwan

Paid subscribers of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast were given early access to this interview. In this free edition of the weekly Unauthorized Disclosure podcast, Matthew Hoh returns to the show. He's a former Marine, whistleblower, and Green Party candidate for the US Senate in North Carolina.

Justice Department: NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Must Wait To Apply For Pardon

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become an annual paid subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism on whistleblowers. The United States Justice Department will not grant a waiver to NSA whistleblower Reality Winner so she can apply for a pardon. All individuals formerly

Equifax Whistleblower Says He Was Fired After Exposing Fraud Related To Consumer Complaints

Stephen Leary, a whistleblower for the US credit reporting agency known as Equifax, says he was fired after he refused to submit fraudulent data about customer complaints to a US government agency. He filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Atlanta, Georgia, where Equifax is headquartered. It alleges that

Roger Waters' 'This Is Not A Drill' Show Is A Revolutionary Concert Experience

Kevin Gosztola reviews Roger Waters' "This Is Not A Drill" show, which is touring North America from August to October. It is a revolutionary concert experience. The audience is in the round, which means they surround the stage where Roger and his band performs. Every song performed

Whistleblower Testimony Shows BOP Director Ignored Rampant Abuse And Corruption At Atlanta Prison

Two whistleblowers who worked at United States Penitentiary Atlanta testified at a US Senate hearing and described rampant abuse and corruption that has plagued the medium-security prison in Georgia for several years. The hearing on July 26 was part of an investigation by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs

Facing Felony Trial, Joliet Police Whistleblower Who Exposed Black Man's Death Retires

A Joliet police sergeant in the state of Illinois, who leaked footage to the press and blew the whistle on the death of Eric Lurry, has been pushed into retirement as a result of retaliation. Sgt. Javier Esqueda has been on desk duty since he released video and faces felony

EPA Verifies Claims Of Colorado Whistleblowers Who Challenged Corrupt Air Pollution Control Division

Unauthorized Disclosure: What The Hell Is With Rania Khalek's Wikipedia Page?

Assange Fights Extradition To United States With Two Appeals

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. Attorneys for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange separately appealed decisions by Home Office Secretary Priti Patel and a United Kingdom district court, which authorized his extradition to the United

Jury Finds Former CIA Programmer Guilty Of Leaking CIA Hacking Materials To WikiLeaks

A federal jury in New York convicted former CIA employee Joshua Schulte of violating the Espionage Act when he allegedly released materials on the CIA’s hacking capabilities to WikiLeaks. This was the second trial against Schulte. In March 2020, his first trial ended in a mistrial on several Espionage

US Congresswoman Tlaib Reintroduces Amendment To Reform Espionage Act

The following article was produced for paid subscribers several days ago. It was unlocked on July 12 for the public. Become a monthly subscriber. Michigan Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib reintroduced an amendment to the Espionage Act that would curtail the United States Justice Department’s ability to abuse the draconian

Unauthorized Disclosure: Post-Roe Organizing For Abortion Decriminalization

Mexico President To Raise Assange Case In July Meeting With Biden

When Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador meets with United States President Joe Biden on July 12, he plans to once again urge the US government to drop the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Obrador is one of the few presidents in the world, who has expressed genuine support

Unauthorized Disclosure: Emails Exposing UK Intelligence-Linked Plots Against Antiwar Journalists And Academics

US Supreme Court May Take Aim At Whistleblower Protection Law

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. The False Claims Act in the United States allows individuals with evidence of fraud against government agencies to bring lawsuits as qui tam whistleblowers. They can bring a

Unauthorized Disclosure: Stefania Maurizi On UK Government Authorizing Assange's Extradition

'Another Dark Day': UK Government Approves Assange's Extradition To United States

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism. United Kingdom Home Secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. Patel’s decision to hand over a journalist to the

Patel Responsible For Assange's 'Slow-Motion Execution' If Extradited, Doctors Warn

A coalition of over 300 doctors warned UK Home Secretary Priti Patel that she may be responsible for the “slow-motion execution” of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if her office approves the United States government’s extradition request. Patel has until June 19, which is ten years after Assange entered Ecuador’

In One Week, Spanish Court Summoned Pompeo And UK Admitted It Spied On WikiLeaks Attorney

Major UK Political Parties Back 'State Threats' Bill That Would Restrict Press Freedom

This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Take 25% off and become a monthly subscriber to help us continue our independent journalism All main political parties in the United Kingdom have called for immediate passage in Parliament of new measures to fight "state threats,"

Amnesty International Resists Calls To Designate Assange A 'Prisoner Of Conscience' As Extradition Looms

Photo by Mohamed Elmaazi, NUJ member This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber [https://thedissenter.org/march-2022] to help us continue our independent journalism. The international human rights organization Amnesty International has resisted calls to designate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a "

Tearing Down The Blue Wall Of Silence

The following article was produced for paid subscribers several days ago. It was unlocked on May 29 for the public. Become a monthly subscriber. Shannon Spalding was a Chicago police officer and part of an FBI joint task force to expose a “criminal extortion ring” in the Chicago Police Department

The D-Notice: A Very British Way Of Censoring The Press

Defense and Security Media Advisory Commitee members from 2021 (Photo from DSMA's government website and in the public domain)This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber [https://thedissenter.org/#/portal/signup] to help us continue our independent journalism. On April

Dark Day For Press Freedom: British Court Orders Assange Extradition

Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom, where Julian Assange's extradition hearing was held. (Photo by Ludhi85) This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Become a monthly subscriber [https://thedissenter.org/#/portal/signup] to help us continue our independent journalism. A British magistrates court

Canadian Tribunal Upholds Government Decision To Ban Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning (Photo: Roger Jones) The following post was produced for paid subscribers. It was unlocked a week later for all readers. A Canadian tribunal that issues decisions related to immigration and refugee applications upheld the Canadian government’s ban against US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning entering the country. The

Gift To Industry: Budget Leaves EPA Chemical Reviews Further Paralyzed

UK Supreme Court Slams Door On Assange Appeal, Extradition May Be Authorized

If the British Home Office approves extradition, Assange’s defense may submit an appeal on the issues of freedom of the press.

Arms Flood Into Ukraine As US, NATO Pursue Proxy War Over Peace

The strategy significantly expands the growth prospects for military companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

State Secrets Ruling By US Supreme Court Helps CIA Conceal Torture At Black Site Prison

Photo of the US Supreme Court from the US Government and in the public domain This article was funded by paid subscribers of The Dissenter Newsletter. Take 25 percent off and become a monthly subscriber [https://thedissenter.org/march-2022]. The “state secrets privilege” stems from a 1953 case known as

Amid Nuclear Crisis, US Officials Reluctant To Pursue Ceasefire In Russia-Ukraine War

President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Photo from White House and in the public domain)[EDITOR'S NOTE: While this site typically focuses on whistleblower stories, during the Russia-Ukraine war we are expanding what we normally publish to promote more nuanced coverage of the conflict and

The Inevitability Of Russia's Attack On Ukraine

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't typically use this space to weigh in on US foreign policy without connecting it somehow to whistleblowers, but as the establishment news media limits acceptable views to a very narrow spectrum of reactions, I felt the need to weigh in on Russia&

Whistleblower Exposes Credit Suisse's Bankrolling of Spy Chiefs Involved In CIA Torture

A major global journalism project called “Suisse Secrets" revealed the names of criminals and corrupt government officials who had Credit Suisse accounts, including spy agency chiefs implicated in the CIA's torture program.

The Contract Is Signed

The following is an exclusive update for paid subscribers of the Dissenter Newsletter.

British Officials Spread Russia Coup Plot Disinformation For United States

Washington’s ‘junior partner’ does the dirty work for the US

CIA Collects Americans' Data In Massive, Secret, And Extralegal Surveillance Program

UK Official Secrets Act Proposals Take Cues From US Espionage Act Cases

Proposals could expand imprisonment for whistleblowers and journalists from two years to as high as 14 years in prison.

The Worst Thing Written When Assange Was Jailed?

Uncovering CIA-Funded Experiments On Children In Europe During The Cold War

UN Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer Discusses Persecution Of Assange On 'Primary Sources'

CIA Funded Experiments On Danish Orphans For Decades

British High Court Opens Door For Assange To Appeal To Supreme Court

Photo by Mohamed Elmaazi, NUJ memberSupport coverage of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case. Become a paid monthly subscriber. [https://thedissenter.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/595a6466078f74118ea] WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prevailed in his effort to obtain certification from the British High Court of Justice, which would allow him to

Poultry Farm Whistleblower Speaks Out On Big Agriculture's Unfair Practices

Iowa Judge Upholds Ag-Gag Charge Brought Against Animal Rights Activist Hours Before Dismissing The Case

Wright County District Court in Iowa, where Direct Action Everywhere investigator Matt Johnson was prosecuted (Screen shot from Google View) An Iowa judge upheld one of the state’s “ag-gag” laws in a case brought against an animal rights activist, hours before dismissing all charges. In Iowa, a person may

Biden's Lackluster And Mediocre Press Freedom Record After One Year As President

Twenty Years Of Barbarism At Guantánamo: Biden Could End It But Lacks The Political Will

JTF Guantanamo photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth from 2010 The first “high-value detainee” at Guantánamo military prison was approved for transfer a day before the detention camp marked the 20th anniversary of confining prisoners in the “war on terrorism.” According to lawyers from Center

On 'Primary Sources,' Kevin Gosztola Discusses The War On WikiLeaks

For Third Year, Committee To Protect Journalists Excludes Assange From Jailed Journalist Index

Committee to Protect Journalists executive director Joel Simon (Screen shot from CPJ promo video on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvbvgiEnSg])A record number of journalists are imprisoned throughout the world, according to the annual prison index released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). But that number

FOIA Friday: The US Navy And Red Hill Fuel Leaks

Freeing Julian Assange: What It Will Take To End This Political Case

Screen shot from Frontline ClubThe legal systems in the United Kingdom and the United States will not spare WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The only way this political case will end is if U.S. officials conclude the cost is no longer worth the benefit of making an example out of

Assange Plans To Appeal High Court Decision Backing Extradition To United States

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange | Photo by Cancillería Ecuador Attorneys for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plan to appeal to the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom after the country’s appeals court overturned a decision that blocked the extradition of Assange to the United States. The High Court of Justice was

Imprisoned Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Honored By International Free Speech Group

Blueprint For Free Speech also gives Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg a lifetime achievement award. He celebrated Hale as a "great patriot."

Exclusive: Whistleblower Craig Murray Speaks Out After Being Imprisoned Over Blog Posts

In an exclusive interview one day after his release from prison, Craig Murray describes surviving a COVID outbreak and why he is not done challenging his conviction for blog posts.

FOIA Friday: How Bureau Of Prisons Handled My Request For Comment On Daniel Hale

Three Stories That Further Illustrate Why US Government Can't Be Trusted In Assange Case

Photo licensed under Creative Commons by Ryan J. Reilly Three requests for information related to spying on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were sent by Spanish judges to the United States Justice Department. The first request occurred in June 2020, but according to Yahoo! News, U.S. officials still refuse to

NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Spoke At First Public Event Since Completing Prison Sentence

Billie Winner-Davis, Reality Winner's mother (left) and Reality Winner NSA whistleblower Reality Winner completed her prison sentence and spoke on November 26 at the first public event since her arrest. “I have been home, but I haven’t really been home. It’s been a constant sort of

Clive Stafford Smith And Andy Worthington Discuss Assange, 'Gitmo Files' On 'Primary Sources'

Against Blocking The New York Times From Publishing Project Veritas Documents

Photo: Alex Proimos [https://flickr.com/photos/proimos/41578643110/in/photolist-26maq25-qwsCUN-WHeHQF-5x5Krz-dcZy46-GE83Sh-dsPyiH-dcZSa7-cBHuAG-cExqwN-75Comj-GiKibq-851RJP-7kSeQ2-GFwzFj-8ZreiS-6p2KzD-4NUAP2-dcZy8K-9DjxRr-GHwCy-7tSMX-daf3Xf-7tSNx-8DrFED-7Y1CGi-KF39ky-2j5hZpx-GHwDb-LVg8HH-SjN127-5b3SeM-TetFNN-47f16F-4HPMRS-2giCAXf-4rDAxq-6CyJZg-5H81ZT-8RNXos-7AvmmP-QMy8cV-9GTXJe-8zgzfr-evA7cr-6kdQeB-bzHrbM-6kdYxt-8ULw5c-6b6u6y] A judge extended a temporary ban against the New York Times publishing

FOIA Friday: CENTCOM's Defense Of A Massacre In Syria

Dissenter Weekly: US Energy Department Dynamites Radioactive Site Near Los Angeles

Plus, Associated Press detailed extensive criminal conduct by wardens in Bureau of Prisons, which despite the efforts of whistleblowers is brushed aside by the BOP.

FBI Raids Show Project Veritas Is Latest Target In War On Journalism (And It's Maddening)

An FBI logo, photographed in Washington, D.C. on July 16, 2012. (Flickr / J) “Unless the government had good reason to believe that Project Veritas employees were directly involved in the criminal theft of the diary, it should not have subjected them to invasive searches and seizures,” the American Civil

Pentagon And Its Overseers Suppressed Whistleblowers Who Challenged Massacre In Syria

U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride and in the public domain Whistleblowers in the United States military exposed a strike in Syria that resulted in the massacre of around 70 women and children, according to an investigation by the New York Times. The command responsible

FOIA Friday: FDA's Lax Oversight Of Vaccine Clinical Trials

Dissenter Weekly: USA Today's Year-Long Investigation Into 'Blue Wall Of Silence'

Plus, to avoid lawsuit, Belmarsh prison backs down. Julian Assange and Stella Moris are getting married.

US Government Urges Supreme Court To Protect 'State Secrets Privilege' In Lawsuit Against FBI Spying

Israel Slapped 'Terrorist' Label On Palestinian Human Rights Groups After They Uncovered Pegasus Spyware

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Photo: US Embassy Jerusalem and in the public domain) After the Israeli government designated six Palestinian human rights organizations as “terrorist” organizations, Jonathan Kuttab, the co-founder of Al Haq, one of the targeted organizations, suggested this showed Israel

Dissenter Weekly: Colorado Kept Mental Patient 'Unconstitutionally Confined'

Plus, New York state expands whistleblower protections for workers

EPA's Own Survey Shows Employees Fear Retaliation, Pressure To Alter Science

EPA Administrator Michael Regan (Screen shot from Office of Senator Patrick Leahy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPAaECqHbw]) A majority of Environmental Protection Agency scientists surveyed by the agency in May indicated they are unable to “do their work knowing they are protected from intimidation or coercion to alter

Appeal Hearing: CIA's War On Assange, Their 'Most Prominent Critic,' Takes Center Stage

Photo: Mohamed Elmaazi, NUJ memberThe Central Intelligence Agency's record of retaliation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, including reported plans to kidnap or assassinate him, was focused on during the second day of the United States government's appeal hearing. It was part of the Assange legal team&

Appeal Hearing: Prosecutor Attacks Judge's Decision, Which Blocked US From Extraditing Assange

(Photo by Mohamed Elmaazi, NUJ member)The Crown Prosecution Service, which represents the United States government, went before the British High Court of Justice and bashed the work of the district judge, who blocked the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in January. James Lewis QC argued Judge Vanessa Baraitser

The PATRIOT Act And The Whistleblowers Who Challenged Mass Surveillance After 9/11

Mark Klein, former AT&T technician who blew the whistle on NSA warrantless wiretapping (Photo: insunlight [https://www.flickr.com/photos/insunlight/4349077860/sizes/z/]) [Editor's Note: To mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of the American security state after the September 11th attacks, The Dissenter

A Guide To The U.S. Government's Appeal In The Assange Extradition Case

Attorney General Merrick Garland, head of the U.S. Justice Department under President Joe Biden[Editor's Note: I expect to be credentialed to remotely cover the Assange appeal hearing on October 27-28 and will have live updates on proceedings that can be followed on Twitter from @kgosztola [https:

Imprisoning Drone Whistleblower In Isolation Unit May Jeopardize US Appeal In Assange Extradition Case

The Federal Bureau of Prisons put Daniel Hale in a Communications Management Unit, even though they know he lives with post-traumatic stress.

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Imprisoned In Communications Management Unit Designed For Terrorists

Daniel Hale is the first person accused of an unauthorized disclosure of information to be imprisoned in a Communications Management Unit by the United States government.

9/11 Cinema: The Antiwar Film Audiences Were Never Supposed To See

Twenty Years In A Security State: Guantanamo Whistleblowers Who Spoke Up Against A Legal Black Hole

Guantánamo Bay (Photo from JTF-GTMO and in the public domain) [Editor's Note: To mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of the American security state after the September 11th attacks, The Dissenter continues a retrospective on this transformation in policing and government.] President George W. Bush and his

Listen To The Eighth Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With Matthew Hoh (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

The Kabul Strike: Drone Whistleblowers Speak Out On How Normal It's Become To Kill Muslims

MQ-9 Reaper Drone (Photo: United States Air Force) During a hearing on Capitol Hill, General Frank McKenzie, the commander for United States Central Command, contended a drone strike that killed an aid worker and his family in Kabul, Afghanistan, did not occur under any pressure to retaliate. The drone operators

Report On CIA Plans To Kidnap Assange Shows Clearest Evidence Yet Of Improper Pressure On Prosecutors

The district judge who denied the extradition request previously dismissed evidence of improper pressure from the CIA to charge the WikiLeaks founder.

Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo Was Reportedly Obsessed With Killing Assange

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo, who could not stop thinking about how to kill Assange | Photo by Gage Skidmore [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/51329197001/sizes/c/]There were no criminal prosecutions for anyone in the Central Intelligence Agency when they operated a torture program. The White House under

9/11 Cinema: Karl Rove Asks Hollywood To Help 'Win The War On Evil'

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale In Carceral Limbo While US Generals Shirk Responsibility For Deadly Strikes

The Daniel Hale Support Team releases the drone whistleblower's full statement from sentencing on July 27.

Twenty Years In A Security State: CIA's Global Rendition Network, Wrongful Detentions (Exclusive For Subscribers)

Twenty Years In A Security State: The CIA's Torture Business After 9/11

(Image: Lance Page / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: public domain / Wikimedia)[Editor's Note: To mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of the American security state after the September 11th attacks, The Dissenter presents a retrospective on this transformation in policing and government. Each

Pentagon-Backed 'Black Hawk Down' Championed Military Intervention After 9/11

Sgt. Matt Eversmann played by Josh Hartnett in "Black Hawk Down" (Screen shot from the promotional trailer for the film. Fair use for commentary purposes.)[Editor's Note: This is the third in The Dissenter's weekly series [https://thedissenter.org/tag/9-11-cinema/] on 9/11

When Congress Responded To 9/11 By Giving the White House A Blank Check For Endless War

Twenty years ago, every member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives—except for Representative Barbara Lee—gave President George W. Bush the green light to wage war however he pleased.

Listen To The Seventh Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With John Kiriakou (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

How The Post-9/11 Climate Helped Turn The Satirical 'Buffalo Soldiers' Into A Flop

Promotional poster from Miramax for "Buffalo Soldiers." Fair use included for purposes of commentary. [Editor's Note: This is the second in The Dissenter's weekly series [https://thedissenter.org/tag/9-11-cinema/] on 9/11 and its impact on cinema, which will be published as a

Since 9/11, FBI Has Destroyed People Based On Their Race, Religion, Or Country Of Origin

Source: FBI.gov [Editor's Note: To mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of the American security state after the September 11th attacks, The Dissenter presents a retrospective on this transformation in policing and government. Each entry in the series, "Twenty Years In A Security State,"

FBI Responded To 9/11 By Locking Up Hundreds Of Muslim Immigrants (Exclusive For Subscribers)

Dissenter Weekly: South African Whistleblower Murdered, FBI Whistleblower Speaks Out (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

9/11 Cinema: 'The Siege' Foreshadowed America's Dark Transformation

With each attack, the message of the movie is that traditional law enforcement will not stop the violence coming from within Arab and Muslim communities.

Listen To The Sixth Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With Thomas Drake (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Image of Thomas Drake from Defending Rights and Dissent's "Primary Sources" website In the sixth episode of the “Primary Sources” podcast, NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake joins host Chip Gibbons to discuss how he became the United States Justice Department’s “signature case” for resurrecting the Espionage

Twenty Years In A Security State: After Failing To Stop 9/11 Attacks, FBI Invented Terrorists

"[W]e try to identify plots in the earliest stages possible because we don’t know what we don’t know about a terrorism plot," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales declared, referring to the FBI.

Australian Military Whistleblower Who Faces Prosecution Shares Perspective On End To Afghanistan War

"We knew it was a debacle. Everybody knew. There was a culture of silence to cover it up, and the politicians were never really trying to win the war."

Dissenter Weekly: Australian Witness In Afghanistan War Crimes Inquiry Was Bombed—Plus, Ag-Gag Laws

In this edition of “Dissenter Weekly,” Kevin Gosztola goes through whistleblower stories from the week of August 26, 2021. We cover an investigation by the Australia Broadcasting Corporation that found a witness in an Afghanistan war crimes inquiry was relocated after their home was bombed. The show highlights Representative Ilhan

Ag-Gag Laws Suppressing Whistleblowers Experience Defeat As Iowa Expands Law To Target Video Recording

The Animal Legal Defense Fund warns Iowa's new law "threatens increased penalties for recording even in public places and locations" long used for advocacy.

Dissenter Weekly: Whistleblowing In South Africa, Covid App Fiasco In UK (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

In this edition of “Dissenter Weekly,” host Kevin Gosztola goes through whistleblower stories from the week of August 19, 2021. We highlight a report from Corruption Watch in South Africa on thousands of whistleblower complaints against municipalities (or local governments) over the past nine years. The show also covers an

How A Drone Whistleblower In Montana Survived A Political Prosecution

Not only did drone whistleblower Brandon Bryant and his defense defeat a political case, but they convinced a jury to acquit Brandon a day early.

Listen To The Fifth Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With Jeffrey Sterling (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

The Afghanistan War And The Dissenters We Should've Listened To

Let's seek out such voices next time a presidential administration moves the United States toward launching a war.

The Filmmaker Who Chronicles National Security Whistleblowers

This was a post for paid subscribers of The Dissenter. It's now unlocked for all readers.

British High Court Expands US Government's Appeal In Assange Extradition Case

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was overheard after the hearing, as he tried to process the High Court of Justice's decision

Listen To The Fourth Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With Jesselyn Radack (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Dissenter Weekly: Corporate Capture Of EPA's Chemical Review System (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Cuomo Retaliated Against Whistleblower Who Alleged Sexual Harassment, Attorney General Concludes

The New York Attorney General's Office corroborates claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo and details how confidantes retaliated against whistleblower.

The Pursuit Of The Truth In 'Enemies Of The State'

"Enemies of the State" is the story of the DeHart family and how their son, Matt, became the target of a national security investigation by the U.S. government.

Whistleblower Craig Murray Will Surrender Himself For Prison

"I go to jail with a clean conscience after a Kafkaesque trial," Murray stated.

Daniel Hale Receives 45-Month Sentence For Releasing Drone Documents

Daniel Hale (Photo: Bob Hayes) Drone whistleblower Daniel Hale was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison. It was a severe sentence but not the harshest sentence ever issued in an Espionage Act prosecution against a former United States government employee or contractor for the “unauthorized disclosure” of information. The

Obama Justice Department Officials Wouldn't Approve Charges Against Daniel Hale

Now the United States Justice Department under President Joe Biden embraces a political prosecution inherited from the Trump Justice Department.

Listen To The Third Episode of 'Primary Sources' With Carey Shenkman (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Defending Rights and Dissent's graphic for the third episode of "Primary Sources" In the third episode of the “Primary Sources” podcast, human rights attorney Carey Shenkman joins host Chip Gibbons for a deep dive into the legal history of the United States Espionage Act. Shenkman gave

Dissenter Weekly: US Prosecutors Play Dirty In Daniel Hale's Case (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

In this edition of “Dissenter Weekly,” host Kevin Gosztola goes through whistleblower stories from the week of July 22, 2021. We begin with coverage of Pegasus, the spyware sold by the Israeli surveillance company to governments, especially those with good or improved relations with Israeli officials. Our main story of

Daniel Hale Pens Letter For Judge Describing How He 'Came To Violate The Espionage Act'

"The truest truism that I’ve come to understand about the nature of war is that war is trauma," Daniel Hale shared with the judge.

US Government Seeks Harshest Sentence Ever In Leak Case Against Drone Whistleblower

The sentencing memorandum from the U.S. government reflects the vindictive posture of US prosecutors, particularly since he pled guilty.

US 'Power Brokers' Benefited From Defending Israeli Spyware Maker

NSO Group, the Israeli surveillance firm behind Pegasus (Screen shot from The Hindu) A massive journalism project involving 17 media outlets from around the world exposed the dark underbelly of Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group and their collaboration with governments to target journalists, human rights activists, and even powerful regime

Dissenter Weekly: US Commerce Department's Rogue Police Unit (Paid Subscribers Edition)

Rogue Police Force Operating In US Commerce Department Further Exposed By Whistleblowers

Whistleblowers referred to the Investigations and Threat Management Service (ITMS) as the "gestapo."

Reporter's Shield Law Introduced In US Congress: A Breakdown

The PRESS Act would ensure “reporters cannot be compelled by the government to disclose their confidential sources or research files.”

The Dissenter Newsletter: Open Call For Submissions

The Dissenter Newsletter is seeking pitches from journalists or writers for publication in the coming months of July, August, and September. Individuals are encouraged to send pitches with a 1-2 paragraph outline for their story. We also urge journalists to suggest how much they would like to be compensated and

No Thanks To UK Government, British Oil Industry Whistleblower Finally Is Going Home

The Croatian justice minister overturned an extradition decision against Jonathan Taylor, a whistleblower from the Dutch oil firm SBM Offshore

Dissenter Weekly: EPA Scientists Expose Tampered Chemical Risk Assessments

Plus, appeal granted by the UK High Court in the extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Dissenter Weekly: EPA Scientists Expose Tampered Chemical Risk Assessments (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Plus, appeal granted by the UK High Court in the extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Assange Extradition: British High Court Grants US A Limited Appeal

The High Court of Justice rejected US efforts to "second guess" factual findings made about medical and expert evidence.

Listen To The Second Episode of 'Primary Sources' With James Goodale (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Defending Rights and Dissent's graphic for the second episode of "Primary Sources"The fiftieth anniversary of the United States Supreme Court overturning a ban on the publication of the Pentagon Papers was on June 30. To mark the event, James Goodale, former general counsel of the

Judge Reduces Burden On Prosecutors In Espionage Act Case Against Drone Whistleblower

Prosecutors claimed the “government does not intend to argue at sentencing that actual harm resulted" from Daniel Hale's actions.

Dissenter Weekly: CFTC Whistleblower Program Saved, Pentagon Whistleblower Franz Gayl (Paid Subscribers Edition)

Pentagon Whistleblower Under Investigation For Trying To Prevent War With China Over Taiwan

"Taiwan's own watershed 'Gulf of Tonkin' event is only a matter of time," Gayl warns

US Supreme Court Decision Limits How Prosecutors May Use Anti-Hacking Law In Leak Cases

The Supreme Court's decision means it should no longer be so easy to convict whistleblowers like Thomas Drake and Chelsea Manning with the CFAA.

Dissenter Weekly: Reality Winner Released To Home Confinement

In this edition of “Dissenter Weekly,” host Kevin Gosztola goes through a few whistleblower stories from the week of June 17, 2021.

Dissenter Weekly: Reality Winner Released To Home Confinement (Paid Subscribers Edition)

The US Government's Jailing Of A Drone Whistleblower

The U.S. government deprived Daniel Hale of the ability to tie up loose ends and prepare for incarceration before sentencing in July.

Listen To The First Episode Of 'Primary Sources' With Daniel Ellsberg

Mother Of NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Describes Her Daughter's Release From Prison

Billie Winner-Davis, the mother of NSA whistleblower Reality Winner, shares details on her daughter's release from federal prison

Dissenter Weekly: FinCEN Files Whistleblower Sentenced

In this edition of “Dissenter Weekly,” host Kevin Gosztola goes through whistleblower stories from the week of June 10, 2021. He covers a United States Supreme Court decision that limited the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), FinCEN Files whistleblower sentenced to six months in prison, whistleblower Craig Murray'

Dissenter Weekly: FinCEN Files Whistleblower Sentenced (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers)

Scottish High Court Denies Whistleblower Craig Murray's Request To Appeal Conviction Over Blog Posts

Whistleblower Craig Murray, who was convicted over blog posts and faces prison, suffered a defeat at the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland.

The Fallout Over Trump Administration's Seizure Of Reporters' Records

The Dissenter Newsletter Re-Launches

After a multiple week hiatus, The Dissenter Newsletter is finally re-launching and embarking on a new chapter.

Whistleblower Craig Murray Sentenced To 8 Months In Prison Over His Reporting On Former Scottish First Minister’s Trial

Former UK diplomat-turned whistleblower Craig Murray was sentenced to eight months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh for contempt of court resulting from his coverage of the trial of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. Mohamed Elmaazi reports.

Remarks Shared With 'Festival of Whistleblowing, Dissent, And Accountability'

Drone Whistleblower Jailed Ahead Of Sentencing In July

A federal judge ordered drone whistleblower Daniel Hale's arrest, and United States authorities took him into custody on May 4.

US Government Marks World Press Freedom Day By Ignoring Their Attacks On Press

Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked World Press Freedom Day by calling attention to governments that are “becoming less transparent” and “more repressive.” “Some governments incarcerate journalists, harass them, target them for violence,” Blinken stated. “Some use other, more subtle [methods] like mandating professional licenses for journalists and using endless

Credit Suisse Faces Renewed Push To Investigate Whistleblower Claims They Violated Plea Deal

A whistleblower informed the Justice Department that Credit Suisse was still managing tax-dodging accounts months after it pled guilty in 2014. Former bankers demand DOJ finally take action.

Dissenter Weekly: British Oil Industry Whistleblower Taken By Police To Psychiatric Hospital

Plus, Facebook whistleblower exposes inconsistent handling of suspicious accounts in countries like Honduras, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, etc

James Risen's Appeal To Journalists To Protect Whistleblowers Skirts Accountability

Two Years After Assange's Arrest, Biden Can End Trump's Assault On Press Freedom

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been detained at the high-security Belmarsh prison in London for two years.

Amazon's Culture Of Fear Thwarts Union Drive At Warehouse In Alabama (Exclusive for Subscribers)

Dissenter Weekly: Amazon and Google's Retaliation Against Whistleblowers

Plus, happy 90th birthday to Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg

Former Employee: Transocean Nearly Caused Oil Rig Catastrophe During Hurricane Zeta

Transocean, Triton, and Beacon Offshore Energy's devotion to profits almost resulted in a disaster similar to the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher

Dissenter Weekly: Air Pollution Data In Colorado Falsified To Fast-Track Permits, Whistleblowers Claim

Plus, the war on whistleblowers continues as Biden Justice Department coerces drone whistleblower into pleading guilty to violating Espionage Act

Drone Whistleblower Charged With Violating Espionage Act Pleads Guilty

Daniel Hale, who revealed information on the targeted assassination program while President Barack Obama was in office, will be sentenced in July

Montana Prison Guard's Whistleblower Case Cleared For Jury Trial

Dissenter Weekly: Whistleblowers Help Shut Down Detention Center In Pennsylvania Where Child Abuse Occurred

Plus, more on the record number of whistleblower retaliation complaints from workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

US Consumer Agency Investigates Tesla Whistleblower's Complaint Involving Solar Fires

Tesla allegedly orchestrated a campaign of retaliation that resulted in Steven Henkes being fired after he complained about "defective and dangerous" solar power systems

Dissenter Weekly: Biden Accused Of Using Trump Rules To Fire Environmental Whistleblower

Plus, whistleblowers in Pensylvania expose Shell pipeline's safety risks

Freedom Of Information Act In Crisis: Government Transparency In the Biden Era

Sunshine Week (March 15-20) is an opportunity to take stock of the state of FOIA in the United States and renew the push for meaningful reform

Dissenter Weekly: In Attack On Freedom Of Expression, Congolese Whistleblowers Face Death Sentences

Plus bank whistleblowers demand the US Justice Department bring charges against Credit Suisse for helping wealthy people dodge taxes

Google Employees Demand Whistleblower Protections After Retaliation Against AI Researchers

"The existing legal infrastructure for whistleblowing at corporations developing technologies is wholly insufficient," according to Google Walkout For Real Change

Throughout The World, Very Few 'Legally Successful' Whistleblowers Are Made Whole

Government Accountability Project and International Bar Association examine the state of whistleblower protection laws in 37 countries

Dissenter Weekly: Report Shows Whistleblower Protection Laws Often Fail Whistleblowers—Globally

Plus, two Congolese whistleblowers reveal themselves and National Guard members deployed to Capitol Hill are being fed raw or undercooked food

Congolese Whistleblowers, Who Allegedly Exposed Oligarch's Efforts To Evade US Sanctions, Identify Themselves

Navy Malela and Grady Koko were behind disclosures about Israeli businessman Dan Gertler and his corrupt dealings to launder money and acquire new mining assets.

Dissenter Weekly: Whistleblowers In Arizona Expose 'Software Bug' Keeping Prisoners Past Release Dates

Plus, an update to a previous story involving an ICE union deal from the last days of Trump, which a whistleblower revealed

New York Attorney General Backs Whistleblowers In Lawsuit Against Amazon Over Pandemic Workplace Conditions

While Amazon profited off COVID-19 pandemic, "hardworking employees were forced to endure unsafe conditions and were retaliated against for rightfully voicing these concerns."

The Records On CIA 'Payments' To Syria Groups Which US Officials Don't Want Us To See

Whistleblowing Farmer Alleges Perdue Terminated Contract After He Exposed 'Sickly Chicks,' Filthy Production

Perdue contends the whistleblowing farmer violated "poultry welfare" and "bio-security" protocols when he gave a tour to a group of visitors

The US Justice Department's Failure To Notify Contracted Employees Of Whistleblower Rights Is 'Systemic Issue'

Dissenter Weekly: What Biden Could Do To Support The First Amendment

Plus, whistleblower at construction site for Amazon fulfillment center warns of safety hazards that may cause lung damage to contracted workers

Assange Prosecution, Launched By Trump Justice Department, Will Continue Under Biden

A Justice Department spokesperson indicated officials have no plans to abandon a case widely viewed as a threat to global press freedom

Big Banks Won Anti-Money Laundering Law With 'Major Whistleblower-Killing Loophole'

Dissenter Weekly: Crooked ICE Union Deal Exposed By Whistleblower

Plus, co-founder of drone tech company abused access to classified information to cheat his competitors

After Ignoring Reality Winner, MSNBC Uses Her Whistleblower Case To Attack Snowden

MSNBC producers crafted a partisan and warped segment against one NSA whistleblower to justify giving air time to the mother of another NSA whistleblower

Dissenter Weekly: Migrant Farmworker Prevails With Whistleblower Complaint Over Lack Of COVID-19 Safety

Plus, Boeing 737 Maxes return to skies despite whistleblower warning there could be more deadly crashes

US Justice Department Tries To Stifle Alleged WikiLeaks Source's Challenge To Cruel Confinement

Metropolitan Correctional Center New York (Photo: Bureau of Prisons) The United States Justice Department is attempting to foil former CIA engineer Joshua Schulte's challenge to his harsh confinement conditions at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jacob argued in a letter

Biden's Call To Heal 'Soul Of America' Is Opening For End To War on Whistleblowers

Dissenter Weekly: Whistleblowing Cops, ExxonMobil Accused By Whistleblowers Of Fraud

Plus, United States government officially appeals extradition decision in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case

No Pardons For Edward Snowden Or Julian Assange

According to a CNN report, Trump submitted to Republican national security hawks and abandoned clemency for the NSA whistleblower and the WikiLeaks founder

Dissenter Weekly: Pompeo's Political Propaganda, Assange Pardon Push In Australia

Plus, updates on multiple whistleblower stories at the state level in the United States

Making US Propaganda Exceptional Again: Mike Pompeo's Voice of America Speech

Whistleblowers called the January 11 speech a "publicity stunt," "political propaganda," and a "gross misuse of government resources."

British Judge Rationalized US-Backed Spying Operation Against Assange

Dissenter Weekly: Reality Winner's Sexual Abuse Claim, Whistleblowers Expose Hollowing Out Of Oversight Agencies

Plus, British judge's decision to keep WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in prison condemned

British Judge Keeps Julian Assange In Prison, Despite Denying Extradition Two Days Ago

“As far as Mr. Assange is concerned, this case has not been won,” Judge Vanessa Baraitser declared. She said the United States government “must be allowed to challenge [her] decision.”

NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Alleges Guard Threatened Her Over Sexual Abuse Claim

“If you lie on me, I go for blood,” the guard who Winner filed a complaint against allegedly stated

US Incarceration System Deemed Too Cruel For Julian Assange

In Judge Vanessa Baraitser's ruling, she said the detention conditions in which Assange would likely be held were relevant to his mental health and risk of suicide.

In Assange Case, British Judge Rejects US Government's Extradition Request

"It would be oppressive to extradite [Assange] to the United States of America," Judge Vanessa Baraitser stated

Announcement: Panel Event On Julian Assange Extradition Ruling

I'll be hosting a panel discussion with Noam Chomsky, Marjorie Cohn, and Daniel Ellsberg

Thank You To CIA Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling

Dissenter Weekly: Acting Attorney General Promoted DOJ Lawsuit Against Snowden's Book

Plus, COVID-19 data whistleblower stands up to Florida state government after raid and pens message to would-be whistleblowers

The Assange Prosecution: A Haunting Reminder Of What Happened In My Espionage Act Case

Guest contributor Jeffrey Sterling, a CIA whistleblower, responds to how his case has been invoked by prosecutors to help them win the WikiLeaks founder's extradition

Dissenter Weekly: COVID-19 Data Whistleblower Targeted In Raid

Plus, a pending anti-money laundering law contains what one whistleblower attorney describes as a major 'whistleblower-killing loophole'

Eleventh Circuit Rules Against NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner's Appeal For Compassionate Release

Billie Winner-Davis, Winner's mother, says, "Even though I had tried not to get my hope up, I am still crushed by this denial."

Assange Extradition Case: Crown Prosecutors Urge Court To Ignore US Torture And War Crimes

Dissenter Weekly: FDA Whistleblower Exposes 'Biohazard Nightmare' At Merck Plant

Plus, staff at Denver Health allege retaliation for speaking out on COVID-19, workplace conditions, and systemic racism

In Closing Argument For Assange’s Extradition, Prosecutors Cast WikiLeaks As Criminal Enterprise

Crown Prosecution Service lawyers representing the US government contend WikiLeaks was in the “business of encouraging individuals to hack into computers.”

Biden's Pick For Secretary of State Is Rather Hostile Toward NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden

Dissenter Weekly: Australian Military Whistleblower Who Exposed War Crimes Still Faces Prosecution

Plus, Belmarsh prison block where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is confined has COVID-19 outbreak

Biden Taps Key Figure In War On Whistleblowers For Justice Department Transition Team

Dissenter Weekly: Biden-Harris Transition Advisers Implicated In Obama's War On Whistleblowers

Plus, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team submits their closing argument against extradition

Assange Legal Team Submits Closing Argument Against Extradition To United States

In submission to magistrates' court in London, attorneys detail the "politically motivated" case the Trump administration pursued against the WikiLeaks founder.

Dissenter Weekly: Nuclear Waste Dumping In Garbage Landfills

Plus, the tragic death of Manoel Santos in Belmarsh prison

Glenn Greenwald Claims Someone At The Intercept Found Me To Be 'Politically Distasteful'

Dissenter Weekly: DHS Urges Employees To Rat Out Leakers

Plus, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden obtains permanent residency in Russia

EPA Whistleblower Who Exposed Pruitt Scandals Sues Over Alleged Retaliation

Kevin Chmielewski was told EPA administrator Scott Pruitt wanted him to resign after he exposed the fossil fuel lobbyist to scrutiny.

Whistleblowing Police Sergeant Who Leaked Video Exposing Wrongful Death Is Charged With Felonies

Ten Years After WikiLeaks Published Iraq War Logs And Revealed 'Small Change Of War'

"I’m struck again by the constipated military-bureaucratic prose, with its sinister dehumanizing acronyms," journalist Patrick Cockburn declared in testimony for Julian Assange's extradition trial.

Transparency Journalism Of WikiLeaks And Other 'Players' Bothers Columbia University President

Dissenter Weekly: Expanded DHS 'Insider Threat' Program Flouts Privacy Law

Plus, Twitter invokes anti-WikiLeaks policy in crackdown on the New York Post

Canadian TV Network Sued After 'Falsely Accusing' Independent News Site Of Being Part Of Russian Cyber Operation

Global News spread "unfair and inaccurate statements" that held Consortium News "up to scorn and contempt in the industry," the defamation lawsuit declares.

Whistleblower Hired To Screen Workers For COVID-19 Exposes Meatpacking Corporation's Oppressive Conduct

"I am not going to sign anything approving someone to go into work when they are clearly sick—that is not right and I will not do that so I quit," declared Sarah-Jean Buck, a temporary JBS worker.

Dissenter Weekly: Reforming The Espionage Act, Latest In OPCW Whistleblower Scandal

Plus, court rules NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden must pay $5 million in profits from his book, "Permanent Record."

Proposed Reform To US Espionage Act Would Create Public Interest Defense

A defendant charged would be "permitted to testify about their purpose for engaging in the prohibited conduct."

FBI Seized Legally Privileged Materials From Julian Assange After Arrest In Ecuador Embassy

"One record of [Assange’s] entire archive” was effectively purloined, and without it, attorney Gareth Peirce mentioned it has made putting together a defense in his extradition case more difficult.

Announcement: Independent Media Roundtable Discussion on Julian Assange's Extradition Trial

On October 3, at 8 am ET / 1 pm BST / 10 pm AEST, journalists who were credentialed by the court will come together to highlight crucial developments in the trial.

UC Global Employee Thwarted Plan To Massively Bug Ecuador Embassy For Spying On Assange

"In addition to it being completely illegal, installing microphones at this scale would be discovered for sure," Witness #2 told the British magistrates' court. It would be a "crazy act."

Assange Trial: How US Government Is Likely Deceiving British Court To Win Extradition

Attorney Lindsay Lewis, who represented Mostafa Kamel Mostafa in a high-profile extradition case, warns against the U.S. government's past "unreliable assurances."

Defense Witnesses In Assange's Extradition Trial Counter Key Prosecution Lie About US Solitary Confinement

“[It is] very difficult to talk through [cell] doors,” attorney Yancey Ellis shared. One almost has to “scream at the top of their lungs.”

Prosecutors' Password-Cracking Conspiracy Theory Against Assange Unravels At Extradition Trial

"At the time, it would not have been possible to crack an encrypted password hash, such as the one Manning obtained," testified Patrick Eller, a digital forensic expert.

'Essentially Dead': Doctor Who Visited Assange In Ecuador Embassy Testifies At Extradition Trial

Doctor says Assange has concealed the “full extent of his depression and suicide plans” when meeting with prison doctors and mental health specialists.

Doctor Diagnosed Julian Assange With Asperger's Syndrome

Dr. Quinton Deeley said Assange's autism causes him to ruminate about his "prospective circumstances at length,” and it creates a “sense of horror.”

US Prosecution Accuses Assange Of Exaggerating Symptoms Of Depression

During extradition trial, prosecutor pressures psychiatrist to change his medical diagnosis of Assange

Trump Jr. Fixer: Everyone In WikiLeaks Deserves The Death Penalty

Arthur Schwartz, wealthy Republican donor, retaliated against political activist Cassandra Fairbanks after she met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Khaled El Masri, Survivor Of CIA Torture And Rendition, Supports Assange At Extradition Trial

"Without dedicated and brave exposure of the state secrets in question, what happened to me would never have been acknowledged and understood," El Masri declared.

Assange's Extradition Trial: Court Hears About History Of Political Prosecutions Under Espionage Act

“I never thought based on history we’d see an indictment that looked like this,” attorney Carey Shenkman testified.

Good Ellsberg, Bad Assange: At Extradition Trial, Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Dismantles False Narrative

Ellsberg also said "Julian Assange could not get a remotely fair trial" in the United States.

Witnesses: Julian Assange May Spend Rest Of His Life In US Prison If Convicted

Assange would be under immense pressure to plead guilty and avoid trial in order to avoid an extremely harsh sentence.

At Assange Extradition Trial, Prosecution Downplays Abusive Supermax Prison Conditions

Lead prosecutor James Lewis focused on a prior ruling by European Court of Human Rights on supermax prisons that clearly sided with the U.S. government.

Assange Extradition Hearing Halted As COVID-19 Spikes In United Kingdom

A member of the prosecution team was potentially exposed to COVID-19. Proceedings were put on hold until September 14.

Trump's 'War On Journalism' Takes Center Stage At Julian Assange's Extradition Hearing

On Day 3, the court heard from Trevor Timm, the executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation

Julian Assange's Legal Team Focuses On US Torture And War Crimes Exposed By WikiLeaks

On Day 2 of Julian Assange's extradition hearing, his legal team called Clive Stafford Smith, a human rights attorney who has represented Guantanamo Bay prisoners, to the witness stand.

Judge Railroads Assange As Legal Team Objects To Fresh Extradition Request

Report from Day 1 of trial portion of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing

An Interview With Barry Pollack, Julian Assange's US Lawyer

Pollack outlines why the U.S. government's position in the case against Assange is a "very dangerous one."

Julian Assange's Extradition Case: Previewing A Major Three-Week Hearing

Assange's legal team will likely present testimony from witnesses to show he is the target of a political prosecution. It begins September 7.

Dissenter Weekly: Group Challenges EPA's Trump Propaganda

Plus, EMS whistleblower in Minnesota objects to police use of ketamine on arrestees

Ahead Of Major Assange Hearing, UK Court Urged To Ensure Press Access

Global COVID-19 pandemic will likely prevent dozens of journalists from covering proceeding if court does not take action to provide live video to press

Inspector General Report Further Exposes OSHA's Systematic Failure To Protect Whistleblowing Workers

The Freakout Over Trump Considering A Pardon For NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden

Elites reacted in a way that reflects their deep-seated prejudice toward Snowden's whistleblowing, which exposed global mass surveillance

Dissenter Weekly: Give Federal Whistleblowers The Rights They Deserve

Plus, a police whistleblower in Phoenix was put on a Brady list for dishonest cops

Whistleblower Retaliation Against Black Workers Likely Fueling Spread Of COVID-19

Legislation In Congress Would Finally Close Major Loophole In Federal Whistleblower Protections

Bills proposed include access to the courts and jury trials for federal whistleblowers who endure retaliation

Dissenter Weekly: Miami Beach Officers Punished For Exposing Cop Who Punched Man

Plus, Justice Department still dismissing whistleblower lawsuits under False Claims Act without providing explanation

New Mexico Prison Whistleblower Was Fired After Objecting To Officers Who Killed Prisoner

US Government Employees View Dissent Channels As Risky And A 'Waste Of Time'

"There appear to be few public success stories where use of dissent channels led to change," according to POGO.

Celebrating National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, Despite All Its Contradictions

Chelsea Manning was found guilty of violating the Espionage Act on National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

Whistleblower Center Warns Fossil Fuel Industry Fraud Spurred By Climate Change Is A 'Ticking Time Bomb'

Pending cases against ExxonMobil's deception are the 'tip of the iceberg'

Dissenter Weekly: Massive COVID-19 Outbreak At Women's Medical Prison

On this edition of the “Dissenter Weekly,” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola provides an update on the COVID-19 outbreak at Federal Medical Center Carswell

In Early 2020, Pentagon Launched 'Aggressive' Investigation Into 'Bad Leaks'

The Pentagon launched an "aggressive" investigation of leaks earlier this year.

At Carswell, More Than 500 Women, Including Reality Winner, Have Tested Positive For COVID-19

NSA whistleblower alleges retaliation from staff over media coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak at FMC Carswell

COVID-19 Cases Triple At Prison Where NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Is Incarcerated

At FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, where NSA whistleblower Reality Winner is incarcerated, the number of COVID-19 infections tripled in one week.

Expanded Indictment Against Julian Assange Targets WikiLeaks Staff

Formosa Plastics, Environmental Racism, And Their Retaliation Against Activists In Louisiana

What Should We Do About 'Violent Crime'?

Wealthy Congress Members Take COVID-19 Small Business Loans

There's Nothing 'Imprecise' About Defunding The Police. It's A Very Specific Demand.

With GOP Exploiting COVID-19 To End Abortion Access, We Need More Than Lip Service From Democrats

COVID-19 Pandemic Put Spotlight On Labor, Exposing How System Really Treats Workers

'A Police State Cannot Fix What A Police State Has Broken'

Introducing Two Journalists We Published For The First Time

Introducing Two Journalists We Published For The First Time

A Couple Of Book Recommendations From Our Editors

Trump Officials Knew Mercenary Group Was Plotting Operation To Topple Maduro

The Coronavirus Crisis in America's Prisons and Jails

Rest In Power To Tony Allen, Afrobeat Master

Rent Protests Deserve Far More Attention Than Right-Wing Funded Gatherings Against Stay-At-Home Orders

Trump Officials Haven't Let Coronavirus Crisis Go To Waste

What Will Happen To Prisoners If Postal Service Doesn't Survive?

The Song John Prine Wrote Which The World's Largest Coal Company Will Forever Hate

Will Wisconsin Hold A Pandemic Primary On April 7?

'At What Point Do We Stand Up?': COVID-19 Mixtape

Guide To Supporting Incarcerated Individuals During COVID-19 Pandemic

Preventing A Coronavirus Catastrophe In Prisons And Jails

We Will Survive This Moment Of Unprecedented Crisis By Recognizing We Have Each Other

Giving Us All A Fighting Chance To Beat COVID-19 Pandemic

Giving Us All A Fighting Chance To Beat COVID-19 Pandemic

The Politics of Moderation Are Inhumane

Shadowproof In London: First Week Of Assange Extradition Proceedings

Reporter Notes: Extradition Proceedings Against WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Begin

Talking Mike Bloomberg On Reverend Jesse Jackson's Radio Show

Short Amounts Of Solitary Confinement May Be Fatal—Plus, Documents Expose Army Propaganda Campaign

All 50 States Claim Prison Staff Shortages To Push For Further Investment

Reporter Notes: Exposing Corruption Within The DNC

Who's Who On Trump's 'Blue Lives Matter' Policing Commission

Book Recommendations From Shadowproof Editors

MLK And Movements That Propel Presidential Action

Trans Behind Bars: Layleen Xtravanganza-Polanco's Legacy

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - January 18

As Trump Targets Landmark Environmental Law, Activists Fight Back Against Financiers Of Climate Destruction

UN Official Condemns Abuse Against Assange, Manning—Plus, John Kiriakou On 'Dissenter Weekly'

Iran Seeks To Dominate Middle East And Other Examples Of War Propaganda

The 'Optimism Of Uncertainty' As We Head Into 2020

Chronicling The History Of Protest Music

Latest In Alleged 'Vault 7' Leaker Case, Plus Tennessee's Healthcare Crisis

Shadowproof Bi-Weekly Newsletter - 12/14

No, The UK Election Wasn't A Bad Omen For The US Left

Our New Weekly Show Covering Whistleblower Stories

'The Report' Is More Than Just A Film About CIA Torture

Behind The Scenes: Launching A Weekly Shadowproof Show

Why Democrats Won't Stop Saying Tulsi Gabbard Has 'Weird Kremlin-y' Views

The political and media establishment has made an example out of Representative Tulsi Gabbard. Defy us and stray outside U.S. foreign policy consensus, and you'll be smeared relentlessly.

In Federal Court, Victory Against Border Searches—Plus Bolivia Coup

The US-Backed Coup To Restore Colonialism In Bolivia

The Phoniness Of 'Intelligence Community' Support For Ukraine Call Whistleblower

Chicago Teachers Union Wins Victory Against Agenda Of Privatizing Schools

'No Music For ICE': Grassroots Boycott Movement Against Amazon Expands Among Musicians

The Establishment's Backlash To Trump's Withdrawal Of Troops From Syria

Revisiting The FBI's 2010 Raids Against Political Activists

A crucial report from Defending Rights and Dissent on the FBI's political spying brings attention to raids from nine years ago.

Prisoners Pen Letters Against New York Scheme To Open New Jails While Closing Rikers

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - October 19

Letter From A Prisoner On New York's Plan To Build New Jails

Shadowproof's New Reader-Funded 'Trans Behind Bars' Series

Some Notes On The Ukraine Call Whistleblower

Disney CEO's Dollars Over Decency Approach To Musicians

How to close Rikers Island without building new jails

Where Presidential Candidates Stand On Assange Prosecution

How About A Couple Book Recommendations?

Explosive Report On California Prison Officials Allowing 'Gladiator Fights'

The Iraq War Whistleblower Who Defied Her Government And Prevailed

The Media Blackout On 'Gladiator Fights' In California Prisons

Limiting Free Speech To Protect Alabama Prisons From Accountability For Corruption

Jazz Musician Sarathy Korwar On His Album, 'More Arriving'

Trans Incarceration: Adryan Corcione On Their Forthcoming Series

Judge Defends Fines Against Chelsea Manning—Plus, CIA Influence On Benghazi Movie

The Murder of Michael Brown And The Art Explosion That Followed

Navigating the Media Landscape: Interview With Shadowproof's Founders

Shadowproof Member Newsletter - 8/3

False Promises: Migrant Workers Struggle Against Wage Theft

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - July 27

Celebrating Paul Krassner, Pioneering Satirist

'There's More Of Us Than Landlords'

The Stories Of Border Cruelty We Must Tell

Biden Falsely Claims He Ended Iraq War—Plus, Warren's Proposal For Banning Private Prisons

Newly-Formed Art Museum Union In New York Still Fighting For Contract

Breaking Down Elizabeth Warren's Plan For Ending Private Prisons

Bikeshare Workers At Facebook Fight Anti-Union Efforts

Lying The United States Into Another War For Regime Change

Bittersweet Film On Chelsea Manning (Preview Of Shadowproof Member Newsletter)

Bittersweet Film On Chelsea Manning's Life After Commutation

How DEA Influences TV, Film—Plus Border Patrol Crackdowns On Protests

The Daily Systematic Censorship Of Books In Prisons

'There Is An Outright Assault On Asylum Seekers'

Blacklisted By General Motors, Colombia Workers Protest Outside U.S. Embassy

'Meeting Gorbachev': A Charming And Quietly Subversive Film

Let's Not Rewrite History To Defend Joe Biden's Record

From Pentagon to FBI, Government Seeks Greater Influence In Hollywood

How Movement To Free Mumia Prevailed Over Progressive Prosecutor

Billionaires Against Funding Symphony Musicians

Victory For First Amendment Rights Of Immigrants—Plus, Documents On Mark Felt Film

Shameful Moralizing On Prisoner Voting Rights

Increased Criminalization Of Asylum Seekers

'Cover Me In Love As The Struggle It Goes On'

University Administrators Fight Rise Of Graduate Student Unions

Supporting Chelsea Manning Who Has Been Jailed For Nearly A Month

Lawyers Fear 'Perjury Trap' Set For Chelsea Manning

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 3/23

'Recycling The Remnants Of Occupation'

Stirring Chaos To Justify Building New Prisons

We Have Two Book Recommendations For You

Chelsea Manning Jailed For Morally Objecting To WikiLeaks Grand Jury

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 3/19

Art Inspired By Chelsea Manning

Young People Are An Investment Too

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - March 2

Bending Around State's Awesome Power To Retaliate Against Prisoners

Shadowproof Obtains Videos Of 'Gladiator Fights' At Soledad State Prison

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 12/23

'Capernaum': A Triumphant Tale Of Injustice And Poverty

New Resource For Tracking Prisoner Resistance

Calls Mount For End To Lockdown At A California Prison

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 12/9

No Easy Ways Out On Beale Street

Some Of Our Favorite People, Organizations To Follow

Resisting Trump Except When It Comes To Latin American Coups

A Film About Trauma At Home And Growing Up

'We've Been Living Off Crumbs For So Long'

Working People Have Suffered Greatly Under Rahm Emanuel

'I Refuse To Be Silenced While Correctional Staff Harm Me'

'Too Much Policing But Not Enough Justice'

Onward To The New Year

Run On The People's Agenda Or We'll Come For You

Accused Of Helping Putin Weaken Faith In U.S. Justice System

2018 Offered Glimmer Of Hope For Universal Health Care

Making Medicare For All A Household Name

Major Step In Ending U.S. Involvement In War In Yemen

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 12/1

George H.W. Bush's 'Calling' Was Serving Brutal Shadow Government

Catch Up On Recent Stories At Shadowproof

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 11/17

Culture War Between Trump And CNN: How Much Should We Care?

'Both Sides' Not Responsible For Tense Political Climate

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 10/27

Recommending Two Eye-Opening Reads

'They Targeted Me Because They Knew I Was On My Period'

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 10/20

Breaking Through Secrecy That Enables Abuse Of Prisoners

North Carolina's 'Ghost Pilots' And Their Torture Chambers In The Sky

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 10/13

Reporter Notes: Reality Winner's Prison Limbo

Not Like They'll Search My Bra And Ream Of Paper Will Fly Out

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 10/6

Fear Of Riots If Cops Aren't Held Accountable For Murder

Trial Against Chicago Cop For Murder Is Rare Chance For Justice

Drawing On Musical Traditions Of Protest

Reality Of John Bolton's Attack On International Criminal Court

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 9/15

Why South Carolina Abandoned Prisoners During Hurricane Florence

Court Rules Against Cruel And Inhuman Punishment Of Homeless

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 9/8

Rare Example In Film Noir Of Black Representation

Reporter Notes: Reality Winner’s Sentencing

Prison Resistance And Plea Deals

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - August 25

Bullied By 'Amazon Of Healthcare,' City Of Pittsburgh Folds

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 8/18

A Comedy In World That Won't Let It Be One

Librarians Uniquely Situated To Prevent Opioid Deaths

Using Your Spark For Good

Inside Trump's Prosecution Of Reality Winner

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER - July 20 ***The following journalism was funded entirely by readers like you. If you like what you read, please help us and subscribe to our members-only newsletter for $9/month or more.*** How Judge Came To Aid Of Prosecutors When A Billboard For NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner

What It's Like To Cover Whistleblower Prosecution Under Trump

Charged For Someone Else's Murder

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 7/14

Roger Waters And Boundaries Of Permissible Thought

I Didn't Want Her Labeled A Traitor

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER - June 29 ***The following journalism was funded entirely by readers like you. If you like what you read, please help us and subscribe to our members-only newsletter for $9/month or more.*** Mother Of NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner: I Didn't Want To See Her Plead

Wising Up To Class Struggle

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 6/22

Ending Immigrant Detention

Reckoning With Immigrant Family Separation

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 6/16

Our Faces Turning Green

USDA-Approved Sustainable Incarceration

Shadowproof's Weekly Newsletter - 6/8

New Hampshire Following Trend To End Death Penalty

New Hampshire Governor's Phony Solidarity

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 6/1

15 Years After Pearl Jam's "Riot Act" Tour

Pumping Stock Values Instead Of Helping Workers

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - May 18

Significant Win For Teachers In Colorado

Teacher Strike In Colorado

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 5/12

The Way Violence Engulfs Us

Need Help Spending Your Fortune, Bezos? Activists Will Help

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 5/4

A Tidy Way To Smother Movements

Good Kids Mad City

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 4/27

Transcend The Madness Of The World

#J20 Cases: Trump DOJ Attacks Union Organizing

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - April 20

Let's See Disney's CEO Live In A Motel

Will Burgerville Workers Form America’s 1st Fast Food Union?

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 4/13

If Only Disney Paid Workers In Magic

Shadowproof Weekly Newsletter - 4/5

Announcing Shadowproof's Newsletter For Members

It's Called 'Keeping The Issues Alive' And We'll Have Two Editions Of Exclusive Content