Wikileaks source and former CIA worker Joshua Schulte sentenced to 40 years jail

Wikileaks source and former CIA worker Joshua Schulte sentenced to 40 years jail

February 1, 2024 at 11:04PM

Former CIA employee Joshua Schulte has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for sharing material with WikiLeaks. His crimes include espionage, computer hacking, and sharing classified information. The court declared his theft as the largest data breach in CIA history. Schulte also faces a lifetime of supervision upon release.

Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. Joshua Schulte, a former CIA employee and software engineer, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by the US Southern District of New York for multiple crimes, including espionage, computer hacking, contempt of court, making false statements to the FBI, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
2. Schulte’s theft is described as the largest data breach in the CIA’s history, and the transmission of stolen information to WikiLeaks is considered one of the largest unauthorized disclosures of classified information in US history.
3. The stolen files, which became known as the Vault 7 leak, detailed the CIA’s surveillance tactics of foreign governments and alleged terrorist organizations through hacking and forged digital certificates.
4. The accusations of possessing child sexual abuse material emerged after an FBI search of Schulte’s home in March 2017, where approximately 3,400 images and videos were discovered.
5. Schulte’s attorney argued that his difficult personality and being “hated by almost everyone at work” made him a target, while Schulte allegedly sent reporters classified information and referred to waging an “information war” while in prison.
6. Schulte’s closing remarks, including comparisons to Nelson Mandela and Nazi concentration camps, were met with strong responses, with the judge deeming the comparisons offensive.

Overall, the meeting notes provide a comprehensive overview of Joshua Schulte’s sentencing, the details of his crimes, and the significant impact of his actions on national security.

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