Monday, May 11, 2015

Convicted C.I.A. Whistleblower Receives 42 Month Term

Former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for leaking classified information to a New York Times reporter about a bungled U.S. effort to undermine Iran's nuclear program. New York times reporter, James Risen, fought for years to avoid testifying in the case, saying he could not discuss his sources. He eventually appeared in court but answered only basic questions about his 2006 book, "State of War," in which he had described the operation in Iran. Supporters of whistleblowers contrast Sterling's conviction with that of former CIA director General Petraeus who leaked classified information to his biographer Paula Broadwell, with whom he was having an affair. Jesselyn Radack is with the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower organization. She told Pacifica Radio's Aileen Alfandary that Sterling's 42 month prison sentence was the least worst possible scenario.