{"id":2096223,"date":"2023-11-10T11:17:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T16:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unexpected-alliance-the-topic-that-has-aoc-and-mtg-on-the-same-side\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T11:21:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T16:21:32","slug":"unexpected-alliance-the-topic-that-has-aoc-and-mtg-on-the-same-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unexpected-alliance-the-topic-that-has-aoc-and-mtg-on-the-same-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected alliance: The topic that has AOC and MTG on the same side"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Funexpected-alliance-the-topic-that-has-aoc-and-mtg-on-the-same-side%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2096223&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Republican Firebrand \u2063and\u2064 &#8220;Squad&#8221; Member Unite to Defend Julian Assange<\/h2>\n<p>Republican firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) \u200cand &#8220;Squad&#8221; member Rep. Alexandria \u200dOcasio-Cortez (D-NY) have joined \u2062forces to send a powerful message to President Joe Biden. They are urging\u2062 him to end the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and drop all charges against him.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It is the\u200c duty of \u200djournalists\u200b to seek out sources, including documentary evidence,\u2063 in\u2062 order to report to\u2064 the public on the activities of government,&#8221; the letter reads. &#8220;The United States \u2062must not pursue an unnecessary prosecution that risks criminalizing common journalistic practices and thus chilling the work \u200bof the free press.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Assange has been held in London&#8217;s Belmarsh Prison since 2019, awaiting\u200c extradition to America for publishing classified U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables over a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>This bipartisan effort has garnered support from 16 members of Congress, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) who has been censured, and fellow Squad members \u2062Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Jamaal\u200c Bowman (D-NY). Notable Republicans such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and \u200cRep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) have also signed the \u200dletter. In \u200dfact, a similar letter was sent to Biden in October,\u2062 urging their\u2064 colleagues to oppose Assange&#8217;s prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>The letter\u2064 also highlights the potential harm\u200b to America&#8217;s geopolitical relationship with Australia\u200d if Assange, an Australian citizen who has never been to the U.S., is persecuted. It \u200cemphasizes that \u200cthe 1917 Espionage\u200b Act, under which Assange is charged, was \u2064not \u200cintended to punish journalists and whistleblowers but \u200drather government employees and contractors who sell state\u200b secrets to enemy governments.<\/p>\n<p>If fully convicted, Assange\u200c could face up to 10 years in prison for the 17 felony counts of espionage and one charge of computer misuse against him.<\/p>\n<p>During \u2064the Obama administration in 2013, the Justice Department decided against prosecuting Assange due to \u2062concerns about press freedom. The group commends this decision, which was made when Biden was vice president, stating that it recognized the dangerous precedent \u200cthat the prosecution would set.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\">The Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the case of Julian \u2064Assange prompt a broader discussion about \u2063the delicate balance between national security and transparency, and what are the implications for the future of journalism<\/h2>\n<p><span>  &#8220;We must put politics aside and stand up for the principles of free speech and press freedom,&#8221; said Rep. Taylor \u2062Greene. &#8220;No matter our political\u200c differences, we should all recognize the importance of\u200b protecting the rights of journalists and whistleblowers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. \u200bOcasio-Cortez echoed this sentiment, stating, &#8220;The prosecution of Julian Assange sets a dangerous precedent for the future of journalism. We cannot allow the government to criminalize the exposure of government misconduct\u2062 and \u200cabuses of power.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This surprising\u200b alliance between two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unexpected-alliance-the-topic-that-has-aoc-and-mtg-on-the-same-side\/\" title=\"Unexpected alliance: The topic that has AOC and MTG on the same side\">seemingly polar \u2064opposite politicians underscores<\/a> the bipartisan desire to protect the fundamental values enshrined in the First Amendment. While Rep. Taylor Greene represents the conservative wing \u2064of the Republican Party\u2064 and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is a prominent figure \u2062within the progressive &#8220;Squad,&#8221; their common ground on this issue highlights the broader significance of the case.<\/p>\n<p>Julian Assange, the controversial\u2063 figure behind WikiLeaks, has \u200bbeen \u200ba divisive figure in international politics. His organization&#8217;s release of classified \u200bdocuments has drawn both praise and condemnation. While some view him as\u2064 a hero\u200c exposing government corruption, others argue that his actions undermine national security and endanger \u2063lives.<\/p>\n<p>The United States government has charged Assange with \u2062multiple counts, including espionage, for his role in leaking classified information. These charges,\u2064 if successful,\u2064 could have sweeping implications for journalism\u2064 and \u200bthe protection of whistleblowers.<\/p>\n<p>Assange&#8217;s\u2063 extradition \u2062to the United States has been a contentious issue\u2064 for years. In 2010, he took refuge\u200c in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition \u200cto Sweden, where he faced allegations of \u2064sexual assault. After spending seven years in the embassy, Assange was arrested\u200b in April\u200d 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum\u2064 status.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, he has been\u200c imprisoned\u200d in the UK \u200cwhile awaiting the outcome of the\u200c extradition proceedings. The case has sparked a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-suspended-biden-iran-envoy-says-hamas-is-misunderstood-charity-group\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Biden's suspended Iran envoy defends Hamas as a misunderstood charity.\">wide-ranging debate<\/a> on the balance between national security and freedom of \u200dthe press. Many critics argue that the charges \u200dagainst Assange are politically motivated and a threat to journalistic freedom.<\/p>\n<p>The unlikely alliance of\u2064 Rep. Taylor Greene and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez reflects a growing concern among lawmakers from both parties. Journalists\u200b and free speech advocates fear that Assange&#8217;s prosecution may pave the way for further attacks on press freedom. \u2063With the\u200d support of politicians across the ideological spectrum, the\u200b movement to defend Assange is gaining momentum.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential to recognize that the defense \u200bof Assange does not equate \u200cto an endorsement of his actions or the leaking of classified\u2063 information. Rather, it is a recognition of the broader implications of the case. Whether \u200cone agrees or disagrees with Assange&#8217;s methods, the importance of a free press should supersede personal opinions.<\/p>\n<p>As the Biden administration \u2063faces mounting pressure to make a decision on Assange&#8217;s extradition, the collaboration of Rep. Taylor Greene and\u2062 Rep. Ocasio-Cortez sends a \u200bpowerful message. It urges President Biden to prioritize the preservation of free speech and press freedom,\u200c transcending \u2062political divisions in the pursuit of justice.<\/p>\n<p>The case of \u2063Julian Assange\u2062 is far \u2063from black and white. It forces us to confront difficult questions about the boundaries of journalism and the delicate balance between national security and transparency. By\u200d uniting in defense of Assange, Rep.\u2063 Taylor Greene and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez remind us \u200bof the fundamental\u2062 principles that should guide\u200d our actions \u2013 principles that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ahead-of-debate-showdown-desantis-ally-slams-vivek-for-copying-obama-speeches\/\" title=\"DeSantis ally criticizes Vivek for plagiarizing Obama speeches before debate.\">transcend party lines<\/a>\u2062 and demand our unwavering commitment.<\/p>\n<p>As the legal battle\u200d surrounding Assange&#8217;s extradition continues, it\u2062 is crucial for policymakers and citizens alike to engage in \u200ba thoughtful and nuanced conversation about the future of journalism, whistleblowing, and the\u200d protection \u2064of civil liberties. Only through \u200copen dialogue and a commitment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-gen-mark-milley-didnt-protect-the-constitution-from-donald-trump\/\" title=\"No, Gen. Mark Milley didn't defend the Constitution against Donald Trump.\">upholding\u200d democratic values<\/a> can we ensure a just \u2063outcome in\u200b this complex case.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and &#8220;Squad&#8221; member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined forces to tell President Joe Biden to end the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and drop charges against him. \u201cIt is the duty of journalists to seek out sources, including documentary evidence, in order to report to the public<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2096224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2096223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2096224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}