KINGSVILLE, Texas — Nearly four years later, Reality Winner seeks a pardon from current President Trump or President-Elect Joe Biden. Winner is a Kingsville native and a former Air Force Intelligence specialist who pled guilty for leaking classified information.
"My daughter was arrested June 3, 2017," said Billie Winner-Davis, Winner's mother.
After leaking the documents, Winner was sentenced to 63 months in prison. The documents pertained to the 2016 presidential election and was alleged proof of Russian attacks on the voting system. She retrieved the documents during her time serving the National Security Agency. Her mom, years later, continued to speak out for her daughter. She said she's thankful to see more people begin saying her name on social media.
"She has filed for a petition for clemency basically asking the president of United States to grant her clemency," said Winner-Davis.
Many people on social media asked for the pardon of Winner, more so as President-Elect Joe Biden gets closer to taking office. Even celebrities like Mark Hamill showed their support for releasing the whistleblower.
"Keeping her in prison right now is just torture," said Winner-Davis.
For family, the fight to have Winner released has been ongoing since taking her plea deal in 2018. Her mom holds onto hope after seeing her daughter's name trending on social media and supporters call for her release.
"She missed out on her sister's wedding, she missed out on the birth of her niece, our family is really close so those are definitely things she would've wanted to be there for," said Winner-Davis.
Find more information about Winner and her story here.
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