Such a charge under the Espionage Act has never been successfully prosecuted, according to CNN legal analyst Steve Vladeck. "The United States has not charged Assange for passively obtaining or receiving classified information," said EDVA US attorney Zach Terwilliger. He added that the charges under the Espionage Act sought to punish Assange "for encouraging sources to provide him truthful information and for publishing that information." After the Espionage Act charges on Thursday, Vladeck told CNN this will be "major test case" on both sides of the Atlantic. Prosecutors having told Manning's team that Assange's new charges won't change her situation, a person familiar with the case told CNN.

Source: CNN May 23, 2019 20:15 UTC