NSA leaker Reality Winner released from federal prison

Reality Winner, a former National Security Agency contractor who pleaded guilty to leaking classified information, has been released from federal prison.

“I am thrilled to announce that Reality Winner has been released from prison,” her lawyer Alison Grinter Allen tweeted Monday. “She is still in custody in the residential reentry process, but we are relieved and hopeful.”

Some very exciting news for #RealityWinner and her family!! pic.twitter.com/yjZf7xiitk

— Alison Grinter Allen (@alisongrinter) June 14, 2021

In August 2018, a federal court sentenced Winner to 63 months in prison for leaking to The Intercept a classified NSA document about the Russian government’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 elections.

Although Winner had petitioned former President Trump for clemency in February 2020, Allen said she was been released because of “time earned from exemplary behavior while incarcerated,” not from a pardon or compassionate release process.

After Winner was first sentenced, Trump tweeted his support for her.

“Ex-NSA contractor to spend 63 months in jail over ‘classified’ information. Gee, this is ‘small potatoes’ compared to what Hillary Clinton did! So unfair Jeff, Double Standard,” Trump said, referring to then Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

“I can’t thank him enough because for 16 months those words ‘so unfair’ were actually not allowed by myself or my team or my family to say out in the public, so I just can’t thank him enough for finally saying what everybody has been thinking for 16 months,” Winner said at the time.