Julian Assange's WikiLeaks disclosures typically help Russia, harm West, investigation finds

WikiLeaks is back in the news again, as editor Julian Assange works to insert himself in the U.S. presidential race, and when The New York Times went back and examined WikiLeaks' activities from the past few years, when Assange has been trapped in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, the reporters discovered a pattern: "Whether by conviction, convenience, or coincidence, WikiLeaks' document releases, along with many of Mr. Assange's statements, have often benefited Russia, at the expense of the West."

The New York Times isn't calling Assange a Russian spy, more of a useful tool. The "emerging consensus" among U.S. officials is that "Assange and WikiLeaks probably have no direct ties to Russian intelligence services," The Times says, but that "Moscow knew it had a sympathetic outlet in WikiLeaks, where intermediaries could drop pilfered documents in the group's anonymized digital inbox." The newspaper doesn't have a smoking gun, but notes a lot of well-timed leaks on trade deals, U.S. classified secrets, and statements supporting Moscow that harmed U.S. interests or transparency and helped Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Assange told The New York Times on Wednesday there's "no concrete evidence" that WikiLeaks gets its leaks from intelligence agencies, though he would gladly accept such material, and said that there's little point in expending resources on Russia, which he called a "bit player on the world stage" and a punching bag. "Every man and his dog is criticizing Russia," Assange said. "It's a bit boring, isn't it?"

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Assange's apparent pro-Russia tilt — increasingly pronounced since he sought asylum in the cramped embassy four years ago, fearful that if he is arrested in Europe, he will be extradited to the U.S. — has split his supporters. "He views everything through the prism of how he's treated," one former WikiLeaks collaborator told The Times. "America and Hillary Clinton have caused him trouble, and Russia never has."

Glenn Greenwald, a transparency activist who helped with the Edward Snowden leak, told The New York Times that "on balance WikiLeaks is a force for good," but that "it's often hard for me to separate my personal views of Julian with my views of WikiLeaks." Greenwald is also skeptical that Assange has damaging information on Hillary Clinton, despite his threats. "Julian loves misinformation; it's his passion," he said. "He'd likely say this just to make the Clintons uncomfortable." Read more about Assange and Russia at The New York Times.