JULIAN ASSANGE

The WikiLeaks founder and his partner, attorney Stella Moris, began a relationship after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012. They have two sons together.

A lawyer defending WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has argued that promises offered by the U.S. government that he would not be subjected to harsh prison conditions if he is extradited to face American justice are not enough to address concerns about his fragile mental health and high risk of suicide.

Earlier this year, a lower court judge refused an American request to extradite Assange on spying charges over WikiLeaks' publication of secret military documents a decade ago.

The U.S. government has asked Britain’s High Court to overturn a judge’s decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be sent to the United States to face espionage charges.

In some of his first public comments since a Yahoo News investigation revealed discussions within the Trump administration in 2017 about kidnapping, or even killing, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he makes “no apologies” for the Trump administration’s actions to protect “real national security secrets.”

In 2017, as Julian Assange began his fifth year holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, the CIA plotted to kidnap the WikiLeaks founder, spurring heated debate among Trump administration officials over the legality and practicality of such an operation.

Executive Editor, 60 Minutes

The 50-year-old Australian, wearing a dark face mask, listened in by video link from London’s high-security Belmarsh prison.

Britain’s High Court has granted U.S. authorities permission to expand their grounds for appealing an earlier U.K. court decision to block the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, where he is wanted on espionage charges.

Assange spent seven years in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. He's currently in a London prison for a separate legal matter.

Officials also said Australian citizen could serve any sentence in home nation

Britain’s High Court has granted the U.S. government permission to appeal a decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be sent to the United States to face espionage charges.

Britain’s High Court has granted the U.S. government permission to appeal a decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be sent to the United States to face espionage charges. The judicial office said Wednesday that the appeal had been granted and the case would be listed for a High Court hearing. In January, a lower court judge refused an American request to send Assange to the U.S. to face spying charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret military documents a decade ago.

A 2019 indictment of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange was chilling to advocates of a free press and democracy. Why have they fallen silent?

‘Hopefully there’s a change,’ brother of WikiLeaks founder tells Andrew Buncombe

The Justice Department has sued Donald Trump's ally Roger Stone, accusing the conservative provocateur and his wife of failing to pay nearly $2 million in income tax.

Aides to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele say he's refused to meet with a visiting senior U.S. diplomat over what he sees as a pattern of slights from Democrats and the Biden administration.

In this image take from UNTV video, Nayib Armando Bukele, President of El Salvador, speaks in a pre-recorded video message during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at U.N. headquarters in New York. The tweet was widely shared in El Salvador. More recently, Stryk teamed up with another DC firm, Rational 360, which is run by veteran Democratic operatives including Joe Lockhart. El Salvador in October hired Rational 360 for $65,000 per month. Bukele’s government has also awarded a $780,000 contract to a newly formed U.S.-based entity called Invest El Salvador.

A British judge on Wednesday rejected WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's request to be released on bail from the prison where he has been held for more than a year and a half as he fights extradition to the United States. Baraitser on Monday rejected an American request to send Assange to the U.S. to face espionage charges over WikiLeaks' publication of secret military documents a decade ago. Lawyers for the U.S. government said they would appeal the decision to Britain's High Court, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it would continue to seek Assange's extradition. She noted that Assange had spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after seeking refuge there from a Swedish extradition request in 2012. The judge rejected that argument in her extradition ruling, saying Assange's actions, if proven, would amount to offenses "that would not be protected by his right to freedom of speech."

Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019 in London, England. LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail by a London court. He is currently being held at HMP Belmarsh in southeast London for skipping bail on a previous occasion. "For all of these reasons I find that Mr. Assange's risk of committing suicide, if an extradition order were to be made, to be substantial." I urge the Department of Justice to drop the charges and the President of the United States to pardon Julian."

A Julian Assange supporter reacts outside the Westminster Magistrates Court after Julian Assange was denied bail at a hearing in the court in London, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. On Monday Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON – A British judge on Wednesday denied bail to WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange, ordering him to remain in a high-security prison while U.K. courts decide whether he will be sent to the United States to face espionage charges. It is illogical.”Several dozen Assange supporters gathered outside London's Westminster Magistrates' Court, shouting “Free Assange.” Police said seven people were arrested for breaching coronavirus lockdown rules. In 2012, Assange jumped bail and sought refuge inside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he was beyond the reach of U.K. and Swedish authorities — but also effectively was a prisoner in the tiny diplomatic mission.

WorldView: U.K. begins new lockdowns, Singapore's COVID-19 app data available to police and more headlines The U.K. has entered a nationwide lockdown for the third time as a new variant to COVID-19 spreads across England. Also, a top government official in Singapore acknowledged that data from the country's contact-tracing program can be accessed by police for criminal investigations, and Mexico's president offered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum. CBS News foreign correspondent Roxana Saberi joined "CBSN AM" from London with those stories.

WorldView: U.K. begins new lockdowns, Singapore's COVID-19 app data available to police and more headlines The U.K. has entered a nationwide lockdown for the third time as a new variant to COVID-19 spreads across England. Also, a top government official in Singapore acknowledged that data from the country's contact-tracing program can be accessed by police for criminal investigations, and Mexico's president offered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum. CBS News foreign correspondent Roxana Saberi joins CBSN AM from London with those stories.

London — A British judge rejected on Monday the United States' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be "oppressive" because of his mental health. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange was likely to commit suicide if sent to the U.S. U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks' publication of leaked military and diplomatic documents a decade ago. Though she blocked Assange's extradition, the judge rejected his legal team's claim to be protected under the freedom of speech. Palmer reported that Assange also didn't walk out of the court a free man on Monday, despite of the verdict.

WorldView: UK rejects U.S. request to extradite Julian Assange, concerns over India's vaccine and more headlines A UK judge has rejected a request to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S. to face charges of espionage. Crews are searching for three people after a devastating landslide destroyed homes in Norway. South Korea is rethinking policy after seeing more deaths than births in 2020. Experts are concerned about India's Covax vaccine, which was approved before trials were finalized. CBS News foreign correspondent Roxana Saberi joins CBSN AM with today's headlines from around the globe.

WorldView: U.K. rejects U.S. request to extradite Julian Assange, concerns over India's vaccine and more headlines A U.K. judge has rejected a request to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S. to face charges of espionage. Crews are searching for three people after a devastating landslide destroyed homes in Norway. South Korea is rethinking policy after seeing more deaths than births in 2020. Experts are concerned about India's Covax vaccine, which was approved before trials were finalized. CBS News foreign correspondent Roxana Saberi joins CBSN AM with today's headlines from around the globe.

U.K. judge rejects U.S. request to extradite WikiLeaks' Julian Assange A British judge has denied a U.S. government request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to America to face espionage charges that carry a maximum 175-year prison sentence. As CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer reports, the judge said such a fate could lead Assange to commit suicide given his precarious mental health.

London — A British judge rejected on Monday the United States' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be "oppressive" because of his mental health. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange was likely to commit suicide if sent to the U.S. U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks' publication of leaked military and diplomatic documents a decade ago. Though she blocked Assange's extradition, the judge rejected his legal team's claim to be protected under the freedom of speech. Palmer reported that Assange also didn't walk out of the court a free man on Monday, despite of the verdict.

Daniel Leal-Olivas | AFP | Getty ImagesLONDON — A British judge ruled Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, one of the world's most high-profile whistleblowers, cannot be extradited to the U.S. Judge Vanessa Baraitser said extradition would be oppressive due to Assange's mental health. "For all of these reasons I find that Mr. Assange's risk of committing suicide, if an extradition order were to be made, to be substantial." Baraitser ruled that while U.S. prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited, the U.S. was incapable of preventing him from attempting to commit suicide. His mother, Christine Assange, said on Twitter that he won't survive if he is extradited. Speaking from a glass box in August, Assange said he did not consent to extradition.

A British judge has rejected the United States request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be oppressive because of his mental health. "I find that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America," the judge said. Lawyers for the U.S. government said they would appeal the decision, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it would continue to seek Assange’s extradition. “While we are extremely disappointed in the court’s ultimate decision, we are gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised," it said in a statement. “We hope that after consideration of the U.K. court’s ruling, the United States will decide not to pursue the case further," he said.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday Jan. 4, 2021, whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face espionage charges over the publication of secret American military documents. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)LONDON – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face espionage charges over the publication of secret American military documents. U.S. prosecutors indicted the 49-year-old Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse that carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison. His legal team argued that Assange would, if extradited, likely face solitary confinement that would put him at a heightened risk of suicide. Assange and his legal team will be hoping that developments in the U.S. bring an end to his ordeal if the judge grants the U.S. extradition request.

Kristinn Hrafnsson editor in chief of Wikileaks gives a statement outside the Old Bailey in London, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, as the Julian Assange extradition hearing to the US ended, with a result expected later in the year. Now that lawyers have finished presenting evidence, Assange's defense team has asked for another four weeks to submit its closing argument. Except for an early virus exposure scare and occasional outbursts from the usually face-masked Assange, the hearing proceeded smoothly. The charges against Assange carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison. Lawyers acting on behalf of the U.S. government say Assange committed serious crimes that put people’s lives in danger, allegations his fiancée disputed.

LONDON – Julian Assange's conversations in the latter part of his 7-year stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London were systematically bugged, even in the toilet, a London court heard Wednesday. Assange lived in the embassy for seven years from 2012 after seeking refuge there while fearing his potential extradition to the U.S. The anonymous witnesses both claimed that Morales said the surveillance was initiated at the behest of “our American friends" and that he had been handsomely rewarded. “All of these suggestions Morales said were under consideration during his dealing with his contacts in the United States,” the witness said. “I used a nearby socket to conceal a microphone in a cable in the toilet in the back of the embassy,” the witness said.

LONDON – Julian Assange relayed how he “binge-watched” the suicide of the former Bosnian Croat general in a U.N. courtroom three years ago, a doctor who visited the WikiLeaks founder on several occasions while he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London told an extradition hearing Thursday. Psychologist Nigel Blackwood, who assessed Assange at Belmarsh, rebutted defense experts on the extent of Assange’s condition, saying his suicide risk was “manageable." “I think there is some risk of suicide but that risk has to be carefully managed at Belmarsh," he said. Blackwood noted that Assange has been “highly functioning to a very high level in running a very successful organization." “I think there is some risk of suicide attempt linked to extradition, but not substantial risk,” he told the court.

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange take part in a protest outside the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, in London, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. The London court hearing on Assange's extradition from Britain to the United States resumed Monday after a COVID-19 test on one of the participating lawyers came back negative, WikiLeaks said Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON – A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told a London court that her client was indirectly offered a “win-win” deal by President Donald Trump that would see him avoid extradition to the U.S. if he revealed the source of a leak of documents from the Democratic Party before the 2016 election. James Lewis, a lawyer acting on behalf of the U.S. government, said it wasn't contesting that “these things” were said. Assange has been in a British prison since his ejection from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in April 2019.

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange take part in a protest outside the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, in London, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON – An American constitutional law expert said Thursday that the United States indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under an “extraordinarily broad” spying law that has been used in the past for politically motivated prosecutions. Leaker Daniel Ellsberg faced 12 Espionage Act charges and faced up to 115 years in prison, but the charges were dismissed in 1973 because of government misconduct against him. He said it was not relevant to his analysis of the Espionage Act, and noted he was a very junior lawyer at the time. He disagreed with a suggestion by a prosecution lawyer that Assange took a “cavalier attitude” to redaction.

He told London's Central Criminal Court that the pair had very comparable political opinions. The dump, similarly coordinated at various stages with some of the world's leading newspapers, was arguably the biggest single leak since the Pentagon Papers four decades before. Like Assange, Ellsberg faced the prospect of decades, at least, in prison. He also said that Assange took great care not to willfully expose anyone to harm. Assange has been in a British prison since he was ejected from his refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in April 2019.

WikiLeaks said the case is now set to continue on Monday. Assange is fighting American prosecutors’ attempt to get the British government to send him to the U.S. to stand trial on spying charges. The extradition hearing at London’s Old Bailey criminal court is scheduled to last until early October. U.S. prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Australian on 18 espionage and computer misuse charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret U.S. military documents a decade ago. Assange’s lawyers say the prosecution is a politically motivated abuse of power that will stifle press freedom and put journalists around the world at risk.

Julian Assange supporters protest outside the Old Bailey in London, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the U.S. government were squaring off in a London court on Monday at a high-stakes extradition case delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. American prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Australian on 18 espionage and computer misuse charges over the WikiLeaks publication of secret U.S. military documents a decade ago. U.S. prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Australian on 18 espionage and computer misuse charges over WikiLeaks publication of secret U.S. military documents a decade ago. The hearing started Monday at Londons Old Bailey criminal court and is scheduled to last about a month.

A billboard truck depicting Julian Assange drives past the Central Criminal Court Old Bailey in London, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. American prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Australian on 18 espionage and computer misuse charges over Wikileaks' publication of secret U.S. military documents a decade ago. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON A British judge told WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday that his extradition hearing will proceed without him if he continues to speak from the dock and interrupt witnesses. Vanessa Baraitser briefly adjourned the hearing at Londons Central Criminal Court after Assange interrupted defense witness Clive Stafford Smith, who was giving evidence. Assange is fighting an attempt by American prosecutors to extradite him to the U.S. to stand trial on spying charges.

Partner of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Stella Moris, holds up a Julian Assange press card outside the gates of Downing Street, in Westminster, London, after attempting to deliver a Reporters Without Borders petition against the extradition of her partner to the US. Lawyers for Assange and the U.S. government will face off in London on Monday at an extradition hearing that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP)LONDON Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the U.S. government were squaring off in a London court on Monday at a high-stakes extradition case delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Assanges lawyers say the prosecution is a politically motivated abuse of power that will stifle press freedom and put journalists around the world at risk. The WikiLeaks founder was due to be brought from Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London to court for the hearing.

August 2010: Swedish prosecutors issue arrest warrant for Assange based on one womans allegation of rape and anothers allegation of molestation. November 2010: Swedish police issue an international arrest warrant for Assange. July 2014: Assange loses his bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden against him canceled. May 1, 2019: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping bail in 2012. June 25, 2020: US files new indictment against Assange that prosecutors say underscores Assanges efforts to procure and release classified information.

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 file photo, demonstrators supporting Julian Assange hold banners outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London. Lawyers for Assange and the U.S. government are scheduled to face off in London Monday at an extradition hearing that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. American prosecutors say Assange is a criminal, not a free-speech hero. The four-week extradition hearing is part of a twisting saga rife with competing claims of hacking, spying and subterfuge. The extradition hearing opened in February but was put on hold when the U.K. went into lockdown in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange adjourned Thursday to give lawyers more time to gather evidence before returning to court in May. The U.S. governments desire to prosecute Assange is therefore political in nature and his extradition should be blocked, the lawyer said. He repeatedly complained he was a mere spectator in his own extradition hearing and unable to easily give instruction to members of his legal team or speak to them without being overheard. On Thursday, his lawyers asked Judge Vanessa Baraitser to allow Assange to sit beside them when the case resumes, as is common in U.S. courtrooms. The anonymous witness will also testify that it was discussed whether Assange could be poisoned or kidnapped, his lawyer told the court.

This case already has enough spying on my lawyers as it is.Assange is facing 18 charges that he conspired with Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to release classified documents to the world. Judge Vanessa Baraitser is being asked to decide whether that extradition is legal under the terms of a U.K.-U.S. treaty. His lawyers said they would make an application Thursday morning for him to sit up beside them for the remainder of the hearing. There is no reason why he shouldnt sit with us and be able to communicate should he need to during the hearing, Fitzgerald said. Earlier in the day, Assanges lawyers argued that he is being accused of a pure political crime, and that should keep him from being extradited to the U.S. to face trial.

Lawyers for the U.S. argued in court Monday that Assange's publication of military secrets had risked the lives of people in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan who had assisted the West, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Assange's lawyer claimed the case could lead to criminalizing activities that were essential to investigative journalism, according to the news agency. Protesters from across Europe gathered in London on Saturday to demand Assange's release and rally against his potential extradition. Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis also spoke at the protest, with Varoufakis describing WikiLeaks as "what every self-respecting news outlet ought to be." He also announced that Euroleaks, a project he was launching with Assange, would "see the light of day" on March 10.

Those were the two competing narratives laid out before the judge in Londons Woolwich Crown Court on Monday as the first day of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges extradition hearing got underway. AdvertisementLawyers for the U.S. government are seeking Assanges extradition to the United States, where he faces 18 charges. Fitzgerald laid out some of the witnesses his team intends to call when the second stage of the extradition hearing takes place in May. The extradition hearing will not focus on wrongdoing but instead determine whether Assange can be extradited under the terms of a U.S.-U.K. treaty. The extradition hearing will continue for a week and then be placed on hold until May 18 so both sides can gather more evidence before a further three-week hearing.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London on May 1, 2019 to be sentenced for bail violation. "At no time did I offer Julian Assange anything from the President because I had not spoken with the President about this issue at all. In his statement, Rohrabacher also called on Trump to pardon Assange, whom he called "the true whistleblower of our time." At Wednesday's court session, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser reportedly said the evidence about a purported pardon offer is admissible at that hearing. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, when asked about the claim of a pardon offer by Trump, said, "The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he's an ex-congressman."

Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019 in London, England. More than 60 doctors have written to British authorities asserting that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange urgently needs medical treatment at a university hospital. The doctors said in a letter published Monday that Assange suffers from psychological problems including depression as well as dental issues and a serious shoulder ailment. Assange is in Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London in advance of an extradition hearing set for February. Dr. Lissa Johnson of Australia said an independent medical assessment is needed to determine if Assange is "medically fit" to face legal proceedings.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London, May 1, 2019, to be sentenced for bail violation. GettyLondon More than 60 doctors have written to British authorities asserting that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange urgently needs medical treatment at a university hospital. The doctors said in a letter published Monday that Assange suffers from psychological problems including depression as well as dental issues and a serious shoulder ailment. Assange is in Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London in advance of an extradition hearing set for February. The letter, distributed by WikiLeaks, was sent to Home Secretary Priti Patel, who heads up the British government agency in charge of law enforcement.

Prepare to die ... Stone wrote in one text to Credico that included an obscenity. Through texts, Credico later confronted Stone about his lies to the committee and urged him to amend his testimony. The trial took on a light-hearted tone, however, after Taylor concluded her testimony and Credico took the stand Thursday afternoon. Credico testified he promised to help get Assange to appear on Stones radio show and pass along messages, but he never followed through. I did (Al) Pacino and I did Marlon Brando, but I never did Frank Pentangeli, he said.

Demonstrators protest outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London on October 21, 2019, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been attending a case management hearing as he fights extradition to the United States. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared confused at a London court hearing on Monday, struggling to recall his name and age in his first public appearance in months as he sought to fight his extradition to the United States. He appeared in good health, with his white hair combed back and wearing a navy suit over a light blue sweater and white shirt. But he mumbled and stuttered for several seconds as he gave his name and date of birth at the start of a preliminary hearing in the case. Assange is being held in British jail pending the U.S. extradition, having served his sentence for skipping bail.

On Tuesdays Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, McCain opened up about two recent sparing matches with guests Ana Navarro and Pamela Anderson. The booing and the heckling is a lot every day, and Im paid at The View, Im paid to give a different view. I think thats why people like the show. I always say were like the only show that [talks] about J.Lo and A-Rod and North Korea in the same show, and I think thats important." RELATED CONTENT:Meghan McCain Walks off 'The View' Set After Tense Ana Navarro ArgumentMeghan McCain Says Felicity Huffman 'Deserves to Go to Jail' Over College Admissions ScandalMeghan McCain and Pamela Anderson Feud Over Politics on 'The View'

Meghan McCain sparred with Pamela Anderson on Friday's episode of The View. The military has put many innocent lives at risk," Anderson said. "There's nothing proven that he actually put anybody at risk," Anderson replied. "I always say we're like the only show that [talks] about J.Lo and A-Rod and North Korea in the same show, and I think that's important." RELATED CONTENT:Meghan McCain Talks Representing Conservatives on 'The View,' Calls Elisabeth Hasselbeck an 'Icon' (Exclusive)Meghan McCain and Joy Behar Address 'View' Feud RumorsMeghan McCain Reveals the One Regret She Has From Her Time on 'The View'

Correa fueled his rise to power on anti-US vitriol and aligned with Assange after WikiLeaks published highly classified Pentagon materials. Despite Correa's ire against US policies, he rejected the notion that his government worked with Assange to help Trump win. "I am way closer to Hillary Clinton than Trump," Correa told CNN. I was a student in the US, doing my doctorate when Bill Clinton was (president). The former Ecuadorian leader also said it was "nonsense" that Assange was "the head of the embassy," downplaying Assange's influence.