Former National Security Agency translator Reality Winter, who was jailed for leaking classified intelligence, will be released early from prison. The news was announced on Twitter by her attorney on Monday.
The attorney, Alison Grinter Allen, posted that Reality Winner “is still in custody in the residential reentry process, but we are relieved and hopeful.”
The statement continued, “Her release is not a product of the pardon or compassionate release process, but rather the time earned from exemplary behavior while incarcerated.”
“Reality is still barred from public statements or appearances, and any inquires can be handled through my office,” the note from Grinter Allen added.
Winner was convicted in 2018 of removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet. She was sentenced to five years and three months at Federal Medical Center, Carswell, a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
Her arrest came after she allegedly gave a report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections to the news website The Intercept. The report indicated that Russian hackers accessed voter registration rolls in the U.S. with an email phishing operation.
On July 20, 2020, it was reported that Winner had tested positive for COVID-19. Grinter Allen had previously announced an application with the Justice Department for an early release.
Newsweek contacted Grinter Allen for more information and comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
This story is breaking and will be updated with more information when it is available.
