The Washington Post's Fact Checker took a closer look at Julian Assange's assurance that there is no link between the Russian government and the hacked DNC emails that WikiLeaks released during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Host Sean Hannity: Can you say to the American people unequivocally that you did not get this information about the DNC, John Podestas emails can you tell the American people 1,000 percent you did not get it from Russia . . . Julian Assange: Yes. Hannity: . . . or anybody associated with Russia? Assange: We we can say and we have said repeatedly . . . Hannity: Right. Assange: . . . over the last two months, that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.exchange on Hannity on Fox News, Jan. 3, 2017

Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, categorically denied links between the Russian government and the hacked documents his organization released during the 2016 presidential campaign.

After the interview aired on Fox News, President-elect Donald Trump pointed to Assanges claim to cast doubt on allegations of Russian involvement in the WikiLeaks emails:

We will stipulate that governments regularly spy on each other, and the United States also gathers intelligence on governments such as Russia, China and India. The difference here is that intelligence operations allegedly led to the release of information to the public, via WikiLeaks and media coverage.

Note the wording in the exchange. Hannity asks Assange if he can guarantee 1,000 percent that WikiLeaks did not get it [hacked information] from Russia or anybody associated with Russia. Assange interjects with yes before Hannity finishes his question, then says that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party. His answer leaves open the possibility that the information could have come through an intermediary. As seen in Trumps tweet, this exchange was ultimately interpreted as Assange saying the Russians did not give him the info.

While Assange and subsequently, Trump appear to claim that Russia is 1,000 percent certain not to be the source of the documents published on WikiLeaks, the facts are not nearly as certain. We dug into it.

U.S. intelligence officials have formally accused the Russian government of interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections. One of the allegations of Russian involvement is that Russian hackers breached the Democratic National Committees network and provided tens of thousands of internal DNC emails to WikiLeaks.

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm hired by the DNC, said in June 2016 that Russian hackers had breached the DNC network.AfterCrowdStrikesassessment, a hacker named Guccifer 2.0 publicly claimed credit.

Im very pleased the company appreciated my skills so highly))) But in fact, it was easy, very easy, Guccifer 2.0 wrote on its website in June 2016.

Then in July, WikiLeaks released thousands of internal DNC emails. Assange did not disclose the source of the leaked emails, but security experts said Russian government hackers may have been involved. After the release, Guccifer 2.0 claimed to be WikiLeakss source of the DNC emails.

At least two independent cybersecurity firms have confirmed CrowdStrikes findingsthat two Russian hacker groups had penetrated the DNC network. One group is believed to have actually stolen and distributed the emails.

While the independent analysts suspected that Guccifer 2.0 was linked to the Russian groups that hacked the DNC or were a part of a Russian government influence operation, they did not have hard evidence because the documents were posted anonymously. The FBI is still investigating ties between Russian hackers and the WikiLeaks emails.

Then there are the emailsof John Podesta, former chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.Private security researchers confirmedthat the Russian foreign intelligence service hacked into Podestas email account after tricking him to log in to a fake Google log-in page, then leaked the emails. WikiLeaks obtained these emails and published them on its website, but it is less clear as to who exactly sent the Podesta emails to WikiLeaks.

Assange hasrepeatedly disputed claims that the emails came from the Russian government. Yet, in a December interview on Hannitys radio show, he left open the possibility that Guccifer 2.0s activities were linked to the Russians.Now, who is behind these, we dont know, he said. These look very much like theyre from the Russians. But in some ways, they look very amateur, and almost look too much like the Russians.

We will note that in general, the public should be skeptical of any definitive statements that Assange makes about WikiLeaks sources. WikiLeaks has a longstanding policy of mutual anonymity with its sources, and allows sources to send information through an anonymous drop box.

The Russian government has denied links to the DNC hack or the WikiLeaks releases. Guccifer 2.0 claims to be a single individual from Romania unaffiliated with the Russian government. But some experts believe Guccifer 2.0 may comprise multiple hackers of varying levels of expertise. And others have questioned Guccifer 2.0s proficiency with the Romanian language.

Security experts have found links between Guccifer 2.0s malware and hacking activity similar to known Russian hackers, and assessed that Guccifer 2.0 likely is a Russian denial and deception effort.

Intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, including Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, according to U.S. officials. Those officials described the individuals as actors known to the intelligence community and part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and hurt Clintons chances, The Washington Post reported.

In October 2016, the U.S. intelligence community took the extraordinary step of formally naming Russia as the culprit for the breach, and linked Guccifer 2.0 to Russian intelligence:

The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russias senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.

Susan Hennessey, a fellow in National Security in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, said there is an overwhelmingly strong body of evidence that the DNC emails that WikiLeaks published are tied to Russian sources. The U.S. intelligence community tends to be conservative in making public attributions, she said.

Is it absolute? Is there any room for margin of error? Sure . . . attribution is quite complex. But thats not the same as saying it isnt the Russians. Maybe its the Chinese, maybe a 14-year-old, maybe a 400-pound hacker thats just not credible, Hennessey said. Short of a videotape of Vladimir Putin at the keyboard himself narrating it, its hard to imagine [being able to prove definitively that the Russians were involved in WikiLeaks]. This really is, from an intelligence standpoint, a dream in the sort of level of intelligence that were seeing here.

Other analysts are still skeptical that the Russian government was involved in WikiLeaks, or that Guccifer 2.0 is associated with Russian intelligence. In a December 2016 article, The Intercept wrotethat there is not enough evidence to prove Russia hacked the DNC, or that Guccifer 2.0 is, indeed, linked to Russia.

The Intercept article notes that federal officials have not disclosed how they arrived at the October 2016 announcement formally accusing Russia: Whats missing is any evidence at all. If this federal confidence is based on evidence thats being withheld from the public for any reason, thats one thing secrecy is their game. But if the U.S. Intelligence Community is asking the American electorate to believe them, to accept as true their claim that our most important civic institution was compromised by a longtime geopolitical nemesis, we need them to show us why.

[Update: In its Jan. 6, 2017,assessment on Russian activities relating to 2016 U.S. elections, the Intelligence Community said it had high confidence thatRussian military intelligence (General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate or GRU) used the Guccifer 2.0 persona and DCLeaks.com to release US victim dataobtained in cyber operations publicly and in exclusives to media outlets and relayed material to WikiLeaks."]

WikiLeaks offered this comment to The Fact Checkers inquiry: We stand by our statement.

Assange assured the American public that he is 1,000 percent confident that the Russian government, or anybody associated with Russia, was not the source of hacked DNC emails published on WikiLeaks. But the situation is much less certain than he makes it seem.

Guccifer 2.0, a hacking entity, has claimed credit for providing the hacked DNC emails to WikiLeaks. Independent cybersecurity experts have found Guccifer 2.0s links to Russian hackers, noting that Guccifer 2.0s malware and hacking activity are similar to known Russian hackers. Researchers have assessed that Guccifer 2.0 likely is connected to Russians. But Guccifer 2.0 has denied ties to the Russian government.

Assange assured the public that he is 1,000 percent sure that there was no Russian involvement, without providing any evidence in the interview or in response to our inquiry. The facts we know contradict Assanges assurance, and the situation is much too complex for him to make such a sweeping statement.

Further, he does not disclose any of the independent assessments that have been made about Guccifer 2.0, who has claimed credit for providing WikiLeaks with DNC emails. We award AssangeThree Pinocchios for his distortion of the facts. Obviously, we will also keep an eye on this and update as further information becomes available.

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On WikiLeaks emails: "Our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.

Julian Assange

Founder of WikiLeaks

in an interview on Fox News "Hannity"

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

-01/-03/2017

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Julian Assanges claim that there was no Russian involvement ...

Swedish prosecutors have dropped their preliminary investigation into an allegation of rape against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, bringing an end to a seven-year legal standoff.

The decision was taken after prosecutors concluded that at this point, all possibilities to conduct the investigation are exhausted, Swedens director of public prosecutions, Marianne Ny, said on Friday.

In order to proceed with the case, Julian Assange would have to be formally notified of the criminal suspicions against him. We cannot expect to receive assistance from Ecuador regarding this. Therefore the investigation is discontinued.

If he, at a later date, makes himself available, I will be able to decide to resume the investigation immediately.

The WikiLeaks founder sought asylum in Ecuadors embassy in London in 2012 after losing court battles to avoid extradition to Sweden over the claims, which he denies.

Separate allegations of sexual assault, made by a second Swedish woman, were dropped by Swedish authorities in 2015 after the statute of limitations expired.

Shortly after the announcement on Friday morning, an image of Assange smiling was posted to his Twitter account.

Later he tweeted again: Detained for 7 years without charge while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget.

However, a lawyer representing the woman who made the allegation of rape described the decision as a scandal.

It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts, Elisabeth Massi Fritz told Agence France-Presse in an email. My client is shocked and no decision to [end the case] can make her change [her view] that Assange exposed her to rape.

With the threat of extradition to Sweden removed, the 45-year-old Australian could potentially opt to leave the embassy.

However, Assanges lawyers have repeatedly said he will not do so without assurances that he willnot face extradition to the US over possible espionage charges linked to WikiLeaks publishing activities the basis on which Ecuador granted him asylum.

The Metropolitan police in London said Assange would also face immediate arrest for breaching his bail conditions; a warrant was issued when he failed to attend a magistrates court after entering the embassy.

The Metropolitan police service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy, the statement said.

It added: Whilst Mr Assange was wanted on a European arrest warrant (EAW) for an extremely serious offence, the MPS response reflected the serious nature of that crime. Now that the situation has changed and the Swedish authorities have discontinued their investigation into that matter, Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence. The MPS will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence.

Per Samuelson, Assanges Swedish lawyer, told reporters the decision represented a total victory.

This is one of the happiest days of my legal career. The decision was taken because he was interrogated in November 2016 and could give a good explanation of what happened This is obviously about consensual sex between two adults.

Ecuadors foreign minister, Guillaume Long, also welcomed the decision, adding that he regrets that the Swedish prosecutor delayed more than four years in carrying out this interview. Given that the European arrest warrant no longer holds, Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage, in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador.

But Claes Borgstrm, the lawyer who originally represented Assanges two accusers but is no longer involved in the case, said he found the decision regretful. He told the Guardian: I understand why the prosecutors have dropped the case now. Such a long time has passed. But I regret that Julian Assange was not brought to the Swedish court of law to answer the allegations against him.

All the time since he left Sweden it has been in his hands. He decided to avoid the arms of justice. He didnt want to come to court. He didnt want to answer the allegations, so he decided to escape.

The EAW against Assange was formally withdrawn at Westminster magistrates court on Friday morning, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed. The UK Home Office said the decision to drop the rape investigation was a matter for the Swedish authorities, and not one in which the British government had any involvement.

Reuters reported in March that a long-running US grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks had been expanded to include recent leaks of CIA documents, a move that Assanges lawyers said strengthened the grounds for his asylum claim.

Assange was interviewed by Swedens deputy public prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren, in the embassy in November, following a lengthy diplomatic and legal impasse between the Swedish and Ecuadorian authorities.

Fridays announcement in Sweden followed the Swedish government receiving a letter from the government of Ecuador which accused the prosecutor of serious failure, including a lack of initiative to complete inquiries.

The letter raised questions about developments in the US since the election of Donald Trump as president, including a speech by the CIA director, Mike Pompeo, describing WikiLeaks as a hostile intelligence service and a threat to US national security.

Public declarations such as this constituted an obvious risk for Assange, the letter said.

The US attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said last month that arresting Assange was a priority. There are no charges against him, although media reports have suggested the US justice department is considering how to bring them.

Weve already begun to step up our efforts and whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail, Sessions said.

Asked at a Conservative party campaign event in Edinburgh if the UK would now support a request to extradite Assange to the US, Theresa May said: We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis.

The prime minister added: In relation to Julian Assange, any decision that is taken about UK action in relation to him were he to leave the Ecuadorian embassy would be an operational matter for the police.

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Swedish prosecutors drop Julian Assange rape investigation ...

Julian Assange has signalled he will remain inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London despite the Swedish authorities suddenly dropping a seven-year investigation against him.

The WikiLeaks founder made a rare appearance on the balcony of the central London building to hail the decision by Swedens director of public prosecutions as an important victory.

He gave a clenched fist salute to his supporters, and scores of journalists and TV crews, before maintaining that a legal conflict with the United States and the UK continues.

The Australian, who has lived inside the embassy for almost five years, said the road is far from over, adding it was extremely regretful that he was still being threatened with arrest if he leaves the embassy.

Assange said he had spent seven years either under house arrest or living inside the embassy, without charge, as he faced sex-related allegations in Sweden, which he has always denied.

He had missed seeing his children growing up. That is not something I can forgive, or forget, he said, maintaining that he had been the victim of a terrible injustice.

Detention and extradition without charge had become a feature of the EU, but it was not something expected from the rule of law in the UK, he said.

Assange thanked the government of Ecuador for granting him political asylum despite intense pressure, as well as his legal team and others who had stood by him.

We have today won an important victory, but the road is far from over. The proper war is just commencing.

He pledged that WikiLeaks will continue distributing material about the activities of the CIA in the United States, and will accelerate its publications.

The claim that the UK has the right to arrest me for seeking asylum in a case where there have been no charges is simply untenable.

My legal staff have contacted the UK authorities and we hope to engage in a dialogue about what is the best way forward.

Assange said the UK had refused to confirm or deny whether there is a warrant from the US for his extradition, insisting he was happy to talk to the US Justice Department.

He returned into the building which has been his home for almost five years, without answering questions.

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Julian Assange says 'proper war is just commencing' after ...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has offered to provide evidence that the Russian collusion narrative is false in exchange for a pardon from President Trump.

The president, apparently, has not yet gotten the message. On Saturday, President Trump told reporters that he has "never heard" of Assange's offer to make a deal.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) told The Daily Caller that Trump is being blocked from knowing about the potential deal with Assange. I think the presidents answer indicates that there is a wall around him that is being created by people who do not want to expose this fraud that there was collusion between our intelligence community and the leaders of the Democratic Party, Rohrabacher said.

"The congressman spoke to chief of staff John Kelly two weeks ago about the potential deal with Assange," The Daily Caller reported. "The Wall Street Journalreportedthat Kelly told Rohrabacher to bring the information to the intelligence community."

This would have to be a cooperative effort between his own staff and the leadership in the intelligence communities to try to prevent the president from making the decision as to whether or not he wants to take the steps necessary to expose this horrendous lie that was shoved down the American peoples throats so incredibly earlier this year, Rohrabacher said.

Rohrabacher called the collusion narrative "a massive propaganda campaign" and "historic con job" meant to conceal the ideological conspiracy between the intelligence community and the Democrat party.

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Julian Assange Says He Will Provide Evidence ... - pjmedia.com

Two Moscow-linked figures have emerged as the loudest voices on Twitter amplifying news and commentary about Catalonia's secession referendum.

Research independently confirmed by Fairfax Media shows Twitter accounts of WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange as well as former National Security Administrator contractor Edward Snowden now account for nearly a third of all Twitter traffic under the hashtag #Catalonia.

Assange has peppered his followers with more than 80 original tweets supporting the Catalan independence referendum, suggesting "the future of Western civilisation is being revealed" by the renewed push by regional secessionists.

Those tweets have been generously shared.

Of the 150,279 tweets and retweets using the #Catalonia hashtag in the 10 days until Sunday, more than 40,368 came from the Julian Assange account, according to one measure by social media analysis account Conspirator Norteno. A further 8198 came from the Edward Snowden Twitter account.

Others included the WikiLeaks account, with 2120 #Catalonia tweets and retweets, while Russia-owned network RT generated 598 tweets and retweets.

The surge in pro-secession messages comes as authorities in Madrid contend with a new move for independence in the autonomous region of Catalonia. Spanish authorities have moved to quash a October 1 referendum by dissolving the region's election commission, arresting local officials and seizing campaign materials.

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Neither WikiLeaks' Julian Assange nor Edward Snowden, have a deep history of involvement with Spanish politics.

Assange, the Australian self-proclaimed editor or transparency activist living in exile at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, is also famous for pushing out information hacked by Russian outfits and used to discredit US politicians and political process. WikiLeaks has also actively promoted conspiracy theories such as that surrounding the unsolved murder of Democrat worker Seth Rich.

Snowden, a former contractor for the US National Security Agency, absconded to Moscow, where he now lives, with thousands of classified documents in 2013.

Hashtag analysis service Hashtagify, accessed on Tuesday, identified the Snowden account as the biggest "influencer" for the hashtag, followed by Julian Assange.

While neither Assange nor Snowden, a US citizen, have been known for links to Spain, they do have links to Russia, which has embraced coordinated social media campaigns to weaken Western governments by fomenting division within borders.

As seen during the US election, Brexit in the UK, and the French election, Russian-linked trolls and bot networks have been active in trying to shape national political discourses.

This strategy, often employing intermediaries, leverages the information power of Russian strategists against the greater wealth and military might of NATO members.

The Twitter accounts of both Snowden and Assange have published statements that distort or exaggerate what is happening in Spain.

Recent polls show 49 per cent of Catalans oppose independence. That segment is less likely to participate in the referendum. However, the 41 per cent who support becoming an autonomous nation, are likely to participate.

A "discredited" vote is expected to go ahead in Catalonia. Whether Assange and Snowden tweeting about Catalonia in English would make much difference on the ground, is not clear.

However, casting doubt about the legitimacy of the Spanish government over Catalonia may have a longer-term effect.

"The right of self-determination - for people to freely decide their own system of government - cannot simply be outlawed. It is a human right," Snowden's account tweeted on September 21.

Fairfax Media has sought comment from Assange's and Snowden's Twitter accounts.

Link:
On Catalan independence, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden ...

Among the few visitors permitted to see WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, hisrefuge ofthe past five years, is the artist and filmmakerGeorge Gittoes, who has been painting portraits of the controversial computer programmer-turned-whistleblower since 2014.

Most recently, Gittoes entered an ambitious seven-foot-tall diptych of Assange, painted at the embassy, intothis yearsArchibald Prize, an esteemedannual award for portraiture in Australia,handed out by theArt Gallery of New South Wales. Although Gittoesdid not win,he has gone on tosubmita second version of the portrait toAustralias $150,000Doug Moran National Portrait Prize,where the workhas reached the contests semi-finalist stage.

Theportrait sessions were mentioned in a recent New Yorkerprofile of Assange, who became a fugitive in2010 afterpublishing classified military documents leaked by army soldier Chelsea Manning(then Bradley Manning) on WikiLeaks under the title Collateral Murder.More recently, the sites activities during the 2016 election, publishing emails and documents illegally obtained from the Democratic National Committee, have come under scrutiny for possibly having originated viahacks by the Russian government.

Artist George Gittoes with his paintings, including that of Julian Assange, on the roof of the Yellow House art center in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Courtesy of the artist.

Assange first invited Gittoes, a fellow Australian, to visit the embassy in 2014. The artist initially worried thatany association with Assangecould inhibithis ability to work in war-torn countries. Arecipient of the 2015 Sydney Peace Prize, Gittoes runs theYellow Houseart centerin his current home of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, with his wife, Hellen Rose. (Gittoes also co-foundedthehistoric Sydney gallery and art collectiveof the same name in 1970.)Being linked to Julian when Im about to step back into the front line could be lethal, he wrote in his recently published autobiography,Blood Mystic.

Nevertheless, the artist accepted the invitation because, he said, I never question destiny. Gittoes brought his art supplies with him, and soon was hard at work on what would become the first ina series of portraits.

The recent diptych is meant to depict Assanges willingness to take risks, and to live as a true edgewalkerAssanges wordshowing him gazing over the edge of a mirrored precipice. The second panel repeats Assanges face over and over, as if seen on computer screens, in a commentary on the contradiction of his simultaneous digital omnipresence and physical containment.

George Gittoess painting of Julian Assange, painted at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Courtesy of the artist.

Painting the work was a challenge under the circumstances.I thought that it could annoy the embassy staff to take oil paints, with their smell of turpentine, into such a small and un-ventilated space, Gittoes wrotein an email to artnet News. Not wanting to make Julians tenancy any more difficult, he used gesso insteadnot his typical medium.

The artists 2017 Archibald bid, along with that of seven other competitors, is the subject of a four-part Australian documentary seriesThe Archibald, from Mint Pictures. (Like any good reality show, each star gets an introductory catchphrase. Gittoess is I dont think theres anyone youd ever want to paint that youd take a bullet forbut Id take one for Julian.)

Artist George Gittoes with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Courtesy of the artist.

The production limited some of Gittoessplans for the painting. Originally, he planned to take the work with him to Afghanistan, where he would incorporate oil paint into it. The film company lawyers were not prepared to take the risk of the painting being lost or damaged in transit to and from Afghanistanalso, of me being killed, he recalled.

Butit was thematically and conceptually important to both the artist and the subject to finish the piecein Afghanistan, so Gittoes went on to repainta near duplicate version of it on the roof of the Yellow House in Jalalabad, which is in the flight path of US combat helicopters and unmanned drones, he said.

Someone must have told the US intelligence that I was there doing the painting and so helicopters began hovering over our rooftop while the crews took photos of the large face and figure of Julian as it emerged on canvas, Gittoes added.I imagined Julian would like this story as it meant that crews like the ones who had done the callus and undisciplined shooting in Iraq [disclosed in WikiLeakss Collateral Murder leak] were now seeing the portrait.

George Gittoess second painting of Julian Assange, painted on the roof at the Yellow House art center in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Courtesy of the artist.

Asked to choose a favorite between the two versions of the composition, Gittoes demurred: Both have special qualitiesone for being painted from life with Julian and the other for being painted in an active war zone.

Back in London, there was much talk of how the artists sessions with Assange would be portrayed in the television series. There cannot be an image of Julian Assange looking at himself in a painting. Thats madnessabsolute madness, Assange insisted in theNew Yorker. He also refused to compliment the work, claiming that would be vain.

Gittoes seemedsurprised that the Archibalds 11-person board of trustees did not select his portrait of Assange as one of the 104 finalists (from 822 entries).I have been hung many times in the Archibald, so it is very unusual for the portrait not to be hung, said Gittoes, who was previously a finalist in 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993, and 1991/92. This is my second attempt to get a portrait of Julian hung in the Archibald. The first version, a couple of years ago, was also rejected.

Artist George Gittoes with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Courtesy of the artist.

The gallery is not privy to the reason why Georges work was not selected this year, a spokeswoman for the Art Gallery of New South Wales told artnet News in an email. George is well known in Australia for his socially engaged and highly political paintings, drawings, prints, and film works, made since the late 1960s. His work is held in the gallerys permanent collection and works we have demonstrate his political engagement.

Artist George Gittoes with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Courtesy of the artist.

Gittoes readily acknowledges that theres a legitimate reason that Assange is such a polarizing figure. The reason why I support Julian and see him as an inspiration is very simple, he told the New Yorker. He proves that one individual can still stand up against the powers we all feel oppressed by.

Excerpt from:
Inside the Ecuadorean Embassy, an Artist Paints Epic Portraits of ...

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has said that Wikileaks have obtained information that, when released soon, will guarantee a Hillary Clinton indictment.

During a recent interview with ITV, Assange said his next release will provide enough evidence to see Hillary arrested.

Silenceisconsent.net reports:

WikiLeaks has already published 30,322 emails from Clintons private email server, spanning from June 30, 2010 to August 12, 2014. While Assange didnt specify what exactly was in the emails, he did tell ITV that WikiLeaks had accumulated a lot of material about Hillary Clinton, which could proceed to an indictment.

Assange hinted that the emails slated for publication contain additional information about the Clinton Foundation. He also reminded ITVs Robert Peston that previously released emails contained one damning piece of communication from Clinton, instructing a staffer to remove the classification settings from an official State Department communication and send it through a nonsecure channel. Assange then pointed out that the Obama administration has previously prosecuted numerous whistleblowers for violating the governments procedures for handling classified documents.

In regard to the ongoing FBI investigation, however, Assange expressed a lack of confidence in the Obama administrations Justice Department to indict the former Secretary of State.

[Attorney General Loretta Lynch] is not going to indict Hillary Clinton. Its not possible that could happen. But the FBI could push for new concessions from the Clinton government in exchange for its lack of indictment.

WikiLeaks has long been a thorn in the side of the former Secretary of State, who called on President Obama to prosecute the whistleblowing site after its 2010 leak of State Department cables. Julian Assange remains confined to the Ecuadorian Embassy in downtown London, as Ecuador has promised to not hand over the WikiLeaks founder to US authorities.

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Julian Assange: My Next Leak Will Ensure Hillary's Arrest ...

Pamela Anderson was grilled on rumors of romance with Julian Assange, before admitting she loves the WikiLeaks founder on Wednesdays Good Morning Britain.

The former Baywatch star admitted she was truly happy in life as host Piers Morgan quizzed her about her close relationship with the Australian.

On the program, Anderson, 50, admitted she had visited the political refugee in the Ecuadorian Embassy Tuesday, and described his small, cramped living conditions and hailed him as an amazing person.

Eager to discover whether they were more than pals, Morgan, 53, addressed the rumors which have been swirling since spring and asked: Youre just friends, right?

Yet the former glamour model-turned-animal rights campaigner who takes Assange vegan dinners shocked Morgan with her vague reply: Isnt it funny, everywhere I go Im on a romantic adventure.

We are friendly, yes veryfriendly.

I love Julian. Hes one of the most interesting people I have ever met.

Hes very brave and theres nothing sexier than courage.

Continuing his probe into Andersons relationship status, Morgan continued: So there is a romance?

Remaining very edgy about disclosing any specifics, and hinting she may have two lovers, the actress clarified: I wouldnt call it romance, I already have romance in my life. Can one man do it all? before bursting into giggles.

Anchor Morgan wouldnt let things slide and admitted he was shocked by Andersons reply.

When he asked whether she was in love with him, she said: In love with Julian? I love him, but I have a romantic partner.

In April, Andersonopened up for the first time about her affair with journalist Assange.

She said: I understand that our affair and the curiosity surrounding that might bring some attention to his situation.

Anderson describes her relationship with Assange as challenging, calling him a refugee and possibly the most famous refugee of our time famous for being persecuted.

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Pamela Anderson admits she isnt actually dating Julian ...

A U.S. congressman tried to convince the Trump administration to pardon WikiLeaks Julian Assange in exchange for evidence proving Russia did not hack the emails of key Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a report.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who is known for his pro-Russia stance, called White House chief of staff John Kelly on Wednesday in an attempt to broker a deal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Rohrabacher suggested the White House pardon Assange, who remains confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest and extradition by the U.S., if the Swede turned over a computer drive with files showing Russian intelligence was not the source of the hacked emails.

U.S. intelligence agencies determined in January that Russia hacked into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee among other prominent party figures like Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta.

The hacked emails, which were published on WikiLeaks, were damaging to Clintons presidential bid and part of a broader effort Russia played in tipping the election to Donald Trump.

But Rohrabacher has spoken out against the U.S. intelligence communitys findings.

After he visited Assange in London in August, Rohrabacher said the WikiLeaks founder emphatically stated that the Russians were not involved in the hacking or disclosure of those emails.

Kelly reportedly told Rohrabacher to contact the intelligence community instead, and did not alert President Trump to the proposal.

Rohrabacher, who is known for backing the legalization of marijuana, cited a conspiracy theory on Thursday that left-wingers orchestrated the violence that erupted at white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Va., last month.

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Congressman tries to broker White House pardon for Julian ...

Republican California congressman Dana Rohrabacher contacted the White House earlier this week with an interesting deal: Pardon Julian Assange in exchange for what he said was evidence proving Russia was not the source of the now infamous hacked DNC emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential race,The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

In a phone call to President Trumps chief of staff John Kelly on Wednesday, Rohrabacher described a possible agreement to pardon Assange or something like that, the Journal reported.In exchange for the deal, according to the report, Assange would provide a computer drive that would exonerate Russia in case.

While Assange has not been formally accused of wrongdoing, the U.S. government is looking into WikiLeaks release of secret government documents in 2010.

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Rohrabacher confirmed that he spoke to Kelly but declined to elaborate.

I cant confirm or deny anything about a private conversation at that level, he told the Journal.

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Rohrabachers offer comes as Special Counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees are investigating Russias involvementin the 2016 election, as well as the Trump campaigns possible collusion with the Kremlin.

Trump has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Rohrabacher has earned a reputation on Capitol Hill as being decidedly pro-Russia. A May NBC report, saidfellow GOP lawmaker Kevin McCarthy once joked that theres two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump.

Over the years, Republicans particularly Donald Trump supporters have done a 180 (or a full 360) in their remarks about WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. When he leaked on Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016, some Republicans said he was doing America a great service. But now the Trump administration is poised to attempt to convict Assange and WikiLeaks for their leaking activities. Here are fivetimes Trump and his supporters have flipped on the matter.

In 2010, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said this about Assange: He is an anti-American operative with blood on his hands. His past posting of classified documents revealed the identity of more than 100 Afghan sources to the Taliban. Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders?

In 2016, though, Palin changed her tune. She posted an apology to Assange on Facebook. I apologize for condemning Assange when he published my infamous (and proven noncontroversial, relatively boring) emails years ago, she wrote.

Way back when, Fox News host Sean Hannity said what Assange was doing was waging his war on America and called for his arrest. He also said WikiLeaks stealing and publishing classified documents put lives at risk, as Media Matters reported.

When Assange started leaking emails from the Clinton campaign, though, Hannity became very friendly. He even brought the WikiLeaks founder onto his show for an interview, saying America owes you a debt of gratitude.

Back in 2010, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Assange was a terrorist. Information warfare is warfare. Julian Assange is engaged in warfare. Information terrorism, which leads to people getting killed is terrorism. And Julian Assange is engaged in terrorism.

Once WikiLeaks turned its attention to Clinton, though, Huckabee was ready to discuss Hillary Clintons criminal enterprise, as he called it, on Hannity. He didnt, however, have anything to say about where the leaks came from or whether the leakers should be brought up on treason charges.

Trump had strong words for Wikileaks in 2010. As CNN reported, in an interview with radio host Brian Kilmeade, Trump said of Wikileaks, I think it's disgraceful, I think there should be like death penalty or something.

During the campaign, though, Trumps support for WikiLeaks was hard to miss. He tweeted over and over again about things WikiLeaks documents about the Clinton campaign, and said at one campaign rally in October, WikiLeaks has provided things that are unbelievable.

While Trump repeatedly tweeted about documents released by WikiLeaks aimed at damaging Clinton, he also tweeted it was the dishonest media that claimed he was in agreement with WikiLeaks.

Republicans were fans of WikiLeaks during the election, but now the U.S. is looking to charge members of the organization

Over the years, Republicans particularly Donald Trump supporters have done a 180 (or a full 360) in their remarks about WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. When he leaked on Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016, some Republicans said he was doing America a great service. But now the Trump administration is poised to attempt to convict Assange and WikiLeaks for their leaking activities. Here are fivetimes Trump and his supporters have flipped on the matter.

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GOP Congressman Tried to Broker Pardon for Julian Assange ...