Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 13 (July 2018 - December 2018)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 13 (July 2018 - December 2018)
“President of the Russian Federation - Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at a solemn event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces” by The Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation under CC BY 4.0.
From July to December 2018, the events surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange continued to captivate the public's attention. In July, questions arose about whether NATO could survive under US President Donald Trump, who often criticized the alliance. Amidst this, a contentious House testimony took place, where an FBI agent defended the actions taken in the Russia inquiry.
In mid-July, 12 Russian agents were indicted in connection with the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election. These indictments revealed how the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and passed the stolen emails to WikiLeaks, which subsequently published them. The revelations caused a stir as it became clear that Russia had attempted to meddle in the US election.
Following a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump faced criticism for seemingly siding with Putin's denial of election meddling over the US intelligence community's assessments. The president later attempted to clarify his statements but continued to face bipartisan ire over his handling of the situation.
In August, Reality Winner, a former NSA translator, received a sentence of more than five years in prison for leaking a classified US report on Russian hacking. Her case brought attention to the issue of whistleblowing and raised debates about the fairness of her prosecution.
In September, the UK charged two men with the Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, linking them to Russian intelligence. This incident further strained relations between Russia and the UK.
Throughout the year, there were continued reports of Russian disinformation campaigns and cyber-espionage efforts. It was revealed that Chinese and Russian spies might be listening in on President Trump's cellphone calls, raising concerns about national security.
In November, it was mistakenly revealed that Julian Assange had been secretly charged in the US. This disclosure shed light on the US government's increased pursuit of Assange and WikiLeaks.
December brought more significant developments. Maria Butina, a Russian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy as an agent of Russia in the US. Senate reports also indicated that millions of social media posts by Russians aimed at helping Trump and the GOP had been identified. Additionally, it was reported that Russians had launched a pro-Jill Stein social media campaign to support Trump's election.
These events showcased the ongoing investigations into Russian interference, the legal challenges faced by individuals like Reality Winner, and the continued scrutiny of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. The implications of these events and the question of foreign interference in democratic processes remained at the forefront of public discourse.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 5, 2023
Previous: Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 12 (January 2018 - June 2018)
Next: Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 14 (January 2019 - July 2019)
Return to start: Profile In Focus | Wikileaks
Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022+)
Sources for Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 13 (July 2018 - December 2018):
Can Nato survive US President Donald Trump? – BBC July 11, 2018
Trump Invited the Russians to Hack Clinton. Were They Listening? – The New York Times July 13, 2018
12 Russian Agents Indicted in Mueller Investigation – The New York Times July 13, 2018
Jill Stein’s Recount Cash Pays for Her Russia Legal Defense – Daily Beast July 13, 2018
Russia Indictments Likely Cover Illinois Hack, State Official Says – NPR July 13, 2018
How the Russians hacked the DNC and passed its emails to WikiLeaks – Washington Post July 13, 2018
G.R.U., Russian Spy Agency Cited by Mueller, Casts a Long Shadow – The New York Times July 13, 2018
Novichok Was in a Perfume Bottle, U.K. Victim Says – The New York Times July 24, 2018
Exclusive: White House stops announcing calls with foreign leaders – CNN July 25, 2018
Facebook finds ‘sophisticated’ efforts to disrupt elections – AP News July 31, 2018
Q&A: How Facebook regulates the wild west of political ads – AP News August 2, 2018
Leaker of secret report on Russian hacking gets 5 years – AP News August 23, 2018
Robert Mueller got another cooperator – Vox August 31, 2018
CPS Statement | Salisbury – The Crown Prosecution Service September 5, 2018
Russia: The ‘cloud’ over the Trump White House – BBC September 14, 2018
Chinese and Russian spies may be listening in on Trump’s cellphone calls – Vox October 24, 2018
REALITY WINNER BATTLES AN EATING DISORDER BEHIND BARS – The Intercept November 24, 2018
Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy as agent of Russia in USA – USA Today December 13, 2018
Russian disinformation campaign included ‘pro-Jill Stein sentiments’ – The Hill December 18, 2018