A former National Security Agency contractor sentenced to federal prison for leaking classified government information is asking for a compassionate release due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Reality Leigh Winner has preexisting conditions that make her more susceptible to being infected with COVID-19, defense attorney Joe Whitley said in a motion filed Friday in federal court in Augusta, Georgia, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
The motion says Winner has a history of respiratory illness and an eating disorder. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, but also milder cases of pneumonia that sometimes requires hospitalization.
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