Obama spokesman: Manning has ‘served her time’

Former Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning has “served her time” for leaking government documents, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday.

“Chelsea Manning committed some serious crimes and she has served nearly seven years in prison … as punishment for those crimes,” Earnest said on CNN’s “New Day.”

“But it’s also important to consider, she took responsibility for committing those crimes, she expressed remorse for committing those crimes and she has served her time.”

President Obama on Tuesday commuted the prison sentence of Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of leaking classified information about U.S. national security activities that were later disclosed by WikiLeaks.

{mosads}The 35-year sentence Manning received was the longest ever imposed for a leak conviction. Manning has already served seven years of her sentence and will be released on May 17.

Manning, born Bradley Manning, began publicly identifying as a woman in 2013 and has reportedly struggled with mental health issues related to gender dysphoria. She has tried to commit suicide twice and has spent time in solitary confinement as punishment.

Earnest said Wednesday that the seven years Manning has spent in prison is “consistent with the sentence that was handed down to other people who have committed similar crimes but got less attention for committing them.”  

Earnest added he has a hard time “swallowing” criticism from Republicans who suggest what Manning did was “treasonous” because of her work with WikiLeaks.

“While at the same time, those same Republicans endorse a man for president who praised WikiLeaks, who gives the leader of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, more credit, for having more integrity than the men and women of the United States intelligence community,” Earnest said.

“The criticism that is put forth by Republicans on Capitol Hill for this action requires the American people to suspend belief and suspend their memory about all of the words that were spoken about WikiLeaks by the man that they endorsed for president of the United States,” he continued.

“I would say … it’s astonishing, if it weren’t par for the course when it comes to Republican intellectual dishonesty.”