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Per the article he is also charged re: the espionage act.

In May 2019 and June 2020, the United States government unsealed new indictments against Assange, charging him with violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and alleging a history of conspiring with hackers.

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The claim is that he assisted Manning et al with hacking in violation of the espionage act.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/wikileaks-founder-julian-assa...

> ...charging him with violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and alleging a history of conspiring with hackers.

Conspiring to acquire classified information is quite different than merely possessing or distributing it.

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