Transgender whistleblower Manning seeks Senate seat
WHISTLEBLOWER Chelsea Manning, imprisoned for leaking classified information, is seeking election to the US Senate in the state of Maryland, a document seen at the weekend says.
Manning has gone from prison to US senatorial candidate in less than a year, in which she often made headlines, as infamy she gained by leaking a trove of classified documents follows her after release.
The Federal Election Commission document, filed on Thursday and seen at the weekend, lists Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, Maryland, as a Democratic candidate for the Senate.
Manning, 30, was an army intelligence analyst, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 for leaking more than 700 000 classified documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The revelations by Manning, who is transgender and was known as Bradley Manning, exposed cover-ups and possible crimes by US troops and allies.
Manning was a hero to anti-war and anti-secrecy activists, but the US branded her a traitor.
Then-president Barack Obama commuted Manning’s sentence, leading to her release in May, last year.
During her imprisonment, Manning battled for, and won, the right to start hormone treatment.
She has said she fears for her safety, but does not plan to lie low. – AFP