Resister, whistleblower Reality Leigh Winner

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Dear Friend,

A note from Reality's mom Billie Winner-Davis We need public awareness to ensure my daughter Reality receives a fair trial, and that her legal defense team needs the resources to win this battle. I am so happy and grateful that Courage to Resist, and the new Stand with Reality group, has stepped in to help Reality. I looked at some of their accomplishments for Chelsea Manning, and while that's pretty different than my daughter's case, I believe they will be able to help Reality also. Words cannot express my appreciation for this effort. I am so thankful that they have taken on our cause.

We're proud to stand with Reality Leigh Winner, a 25-year-old Air Force veteran facing ten years in prison for releasing a classified NSA document allegedly revealing Russian interference in US election systems to the media. She's currently scheduled to stand trial in March 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. Like the successful Chelsea Manning campaign, Courage to Resist is hosting the Stand with Reality Winner Defense Fund on behalf of Reality's friends and family.

A recent Air Force veteran, Reality's a passionate and outspoken young woman with strongly-held opinions about environmental justice, animal rights and racism. Like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, she's a courageous whistleblower who (allegedly) gave a media outlet classified information that was clearly of public interest.

The document she's charged with sharing lies on a weird political fault line in America today—it revealed massive security vulnerabilities in US election systems that were attacked, and possibly exploited, by the Russian government leading up to the 2016 election. And it did so at a time when the President of the US claimed he had no idea what might have happened. Not surprisingly, the political right dismisses news of Russian hacking attempts as simply another attempt to discredit Donald Trump. However, the political left is generally wary of anti-Russia "warmongering." Yet we should be able to oppose war, and insist on the integrity of our election systems, at the same time!

This political setup has left Realty facing the full force of a politically motivated US Department of Justice, determined to make an example out of her as the first casualty in their war against whistleblowers and the news media, with far too few outspoken advocates....

It's possible that this case will be the first time that the protections of the First Amendment will directly go up against the 100-year-old Espionage Act in a US courtroom. It'll likely set legal precedents crucial to whistleblowing and press freedom, and the public's right to know about election hacking. Reality and her legal team deserve our full support in this critically important fight.

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For up-to-date information and to donate to her defense online, visit standwithreality.org. To donate by check, send to Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610, and note "Reality Winner" on the memo line.