The United States Justice Department will not grant a waiver to NSA whistleblower Reality Winner so she can apply for a pardon.
By Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter
All individuals formerly incarcerated in federal prisons are typically required to wait five years after their last day of confinement before their pardon application may be considered, unless there are “exceptional circumstances.”

Winner was prosecuted by the Justice Department under President Donald Trump. She pled guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act when she disclosed an NSA report to The Intercept. She believed the report contained evidence of Russian hackers targeting US voter registration systems during the 2016 election.
On June 2, 2021, Winner was released from Federal Medical Center Carswell in Texas and placed under house arrest until November 23. She is living under restrictive probation until November 23, 2024, and has a job where she works a few days a week.
Winner’s attorney Alison Grinter sent a letter to the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney on June 29 and singled out Trump’s actions.
Recent Posts
New Poll: Democratic Socialism Is Now Mainstream
September 17, 2025
Take Action Now A national poll from Jacobin, DSA Fund, and Data for Progress finds broad support for democratic socialist leaders and left-wing…
Gerrymandering & The War On Democracy
September 17, 2025
Take Action Now It’s one piece of a much larger democratic breakdown.By RJ Eskow, The Zero Hour Report A few days before the Charlie Kirk…
What Happened To Silverio Villegas González
September 17, 2025
Take Action Now Immigration agents shot and killed an unarmed 38-year-old father outside Chicago on Friday—and their initial narrative of events was…
Talk World Radio: Sam Rosenthal On The Occupation Of DC And What’s The Matter With Democrats
September 16, 2025
Take Action Now War, peace, and politics with RootsAction’s Political Director Sam RosenthalBy David Swanson and Sam Rosenthal, Talk World Radio…