When it came to Assange, James Trump was concerned about pursuing a prosecution that was so susceptible to First Amendment and other complicated legal and factual challenges, the people familiar with the matter said. Prosecutors debated the case internally for months, with James Trump and Grooms advocating against Espionage Act charges, the people said. [Assange arrested in London]On Thursday, senior Justice Department officials announced an 18-count indictment against Assange, accusing him of conspiring with former Army Pfc. “The political offense exception as it has existed for probably 150 years has consistently maintained that for espionage charges, they are not extraditable. The Assange indictment is “blurring the line between a member of the press and a leaker,” she said, by stretching the definition of complicity.

Source: Washington Post May 24, 2019 21:49 UTC