{"id":7481,"date":"2018-01-13T15:21:16","date_gmt":"2018-01-13T23:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=7481"},"modified":"2018-01-13T15:23:56","modified_gmt":"2018-01-13T23:23:56","slug":"chelsea-manning-files-run-u-s-senate-maryland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2018\/01\/13\/chelsea-manning-files-run-u-s-senate-maryland\/","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea Manning files to run for U.S. Senate in Maryland"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"inline-content inline-photo inline-photo-normal horizontal-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hi-res-lazy courtesy-of-the-lazy-loader\" src=\"https:\/\/img.washingtonpost.com\/rf\/image_1484w\/2010-2019\/WashingtonPost\/2017\/09\/26\/Editorial-Opinion\/Images\/Chelsea_Manning_50306-b1d7f-2429.jpg?uuid=u8HmuKJSEeeM_tW5Evq8mQ\" data-hi-res-src=\"https:\/\/img.washingtonpost.com\/rf\/image_1484w\/2010-2019\/WashingtonPost\/2017\/09\/26\/Editorial-Opinion\/Images\/Chelsea_Manning_50306-b1d7f-2429.jpg?uuid=u8HmuKJSEeeM_tW5Evq8mQ\" data-low-res-src=\"https:\/\/img.washingtonpost.com\/rf\/image_480w\/2010-2019\/WashingtonPost\/2017\/09\/26\/Editorial-Opinion\/Images\/Chelsea_Manning_50306-b1d7f-2429.jpg?uuid=u8HmuKJSEeeM_tW5Evq8mQ\" data-raw-src=\"https:\/\/img.washingtonpost.com\/rw\/2010-2019\/WashingtonPost\/2017\/09\/26\/Editorial-Opinion\/Images\/Chelsea_Manning_50306-b1d7f-2429.jpg?uuid=u8HmuKJSEeeM_tW5Evq8mQ\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span class=\"pb-caption\">Chelsea Manning arrives for a forum last year in Nantucket, Mass. The appearance at the forum is part of The Nantucket Project&#8217;s annual gathering on the island. Manning is a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who spent time in prison for sharing classified documents. (Steven Senne\/AP)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>By\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/people\/justin-jouvenal\/\">Justin Jouvenal<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/people\/jenna-portnoy\/\">Jenna Portnoy<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0<span class=\"pb-timestamp\">January 13, 2018 (WashingtonPost.com)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Chelsea E. Manning, the transgender former Army private who was convicted of passing sensitive government documents to Wikileaks, has filed to run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, according to federal election filings.Manning would be challenging Democrat Ben Cardin, who has served two terms in the Senate and is up for re-election in November. Cardin is Maryland\u2019s senior senator and is considered an overwhelming favorite to win a third term.<\/p>\n<p>Manning declined to speak about her filing or why she is running, when reached at her apartment on the top floor of a North Bethesda luxury high rise Saturday. She said she might release a statement next week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur only statement on the record is, \u2018No statement\u2019,\u201d Manning said.<\/p>\n<p>Manning, 30, who is formerly known as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 of the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Last year, then-President Obama commuted Manning\u2019s sentence to time served and she was released from a military prison in Kansas.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-content inline-video\">\n<div class=\"wpv-wrap b7584ff4-f897-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_wrap\">\n<div class=\"wpv-fixed\">\n<div id=\"powa-b7584ff4-f897-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042\" class=\"posttv-video-embed powa powa-processed small wpv-sticky\" data-ad-bar=\"1\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-blurb=\"1\" data-live=\"0\" data-object-id=\"5a5a5d7ae4b0e4a8e9cf9a2d\" data-org=\"wapo\" data-playthrough=\"1\" data-uuid=\"b7584ff4-f897-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042\" data-youtube-id=\"\" data-autoinit=\"true\" data-autoinit-ads=\"1\" data-sticky-player-mobile=\"0\" data-nth-video-on-page=\"0\" data-device-class=\"deskweb\" data-viewable-fired=\"true\">\n<div id=\"powa-b7584ff4-f897-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042-powa-shot\" class=\"powa-shot\">\n<div class=\"powa-shot-image powa-shot-click powa-shot-click-play\">\n<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/video\/c\/embed\/b7584ff4-f897-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042\" width=\"480\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n<div class=\"powa-shot-logo\" data-logo=\"\">\n<p><em>Chelsea Manning says she&#8217;s not a traitor<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Chelsea Manning appeared on stage in the final interview of the four-day Nantucket Project conference on the island of Nantucket, Mass., on Sept. 17.\u00a0<span class=\"powa-byline franklin-light\">(AP)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The news of Manning\u2019s filing caught Maryland\u2019s political class by surprise on Saturday afternoon. It was first reported in a tweet by conservative media outlet\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/redmaryland.com\/2018\/01\/breaking-chelsea-manning-run-us-senate-maryland\/\" shape=\"rect\">Red Maryland.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cardin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has an extensive fundraising base within Maryland and is not considered particularly vulnerable to a challenge from within the state. However, an outside candidate with national name recognition, such as Manning, could tap a network of donors interested in elevating a progressive agenda.<\/p>\n<p>Cardin\u2019s spokeswoman and the Democratic Party of Maryland declined to comment on Manning\u2019s filing.<\/p>\n<p>Manning moved to Maryland after her release from prison. Since then, she has written for The Guardian and Medium on issues of transparency, free speech and civil liberties, transgender rights and computer security, according to her web site.<\/p>\n<p>Manning\u2019s statement of candidacy was filed with the Federal Elections Commission on Thursday. She is running as a Democrat and refers to Maryland as her \u201chome state\u201d on her web site. The Democratic primary is scheduled for the end of June.<\/p>\n<p>Manning\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2017\/jan\/25\/compromise-doesnt-work-political-opponents-chelsea-manning\" shape=\"rect\">first column<\/a>\u00a0for The Guardian said Obama\u2019s election in 2008 was a political awakening for her. Manning wrote Obama left behind \u201chints of a progressive legacy,\u201d but very few permanent accomplishments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis vulnerable legacy should remind us that what we really need is a strong and unapologetic progressive to lead us,\u201d Manning wrote. \u201cWhat we need as well is a relentless grassroots movement to hold that leadership accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Evan Greer, campaign director of the non-profit organization Fight for the Future and a close supporter of Manning while she was imprisoned, said the news is exciting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChelsea Manning has fought for freedom and sacrificed for it in ways that few others have,\u201d Greer wrote in an e-mail. \u201cThe world is a better place with her as a free woman, and this latest news makes it clear she is only beginning to make her mark on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary\u2019s College, said Trump\u2019s unexpected rise to chief executive opened the door for political neophytes, such as Manning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy initial thought quite literally was, \u2018Donald Trump is president, Oprah Winfrey is the leading contender for Democrats in 2020, why the hell not Chelsea Manning in the U.S. Senate?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In today\u2019s polarized landscape, Manning could expand her following simply with a virulent anti-Trump message.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe live in a world now where the old rules of politics don\u2019t seem to matter anymore,\u201d Eberly said. \u201cWe don\u2019t care about experience and qualifications. We seem to care about how a candidate makes us feel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Judging from her past statements, Manning\u2019s brand could be one of \u201cunapologetic progressivism, no compromise, take no prisoners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Manning enlisted in the military in 2007 and was deployed to Iraq two years later as an intelligence analyst, according to her web site.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010, Manning was arrested after she provided a trove of nearly 750,000 documents to Wikileaks that included documents about the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, State Department cables, and information about prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.<\/p>\n<p>Manning\u2019s high-profile leak drew media coverage around the world. U.S. officials said the material placed the lives of U.S. soldiers and Afghan informants at risk, but Manning said she had a duty to inform the public about how the U.S. was conducting its wars.<\/p>\n<p>Three years later, Manning was convicted of multiple counts, including violating the Espionage Act, and received a lengthy sentence. While serving time at Ft. Leavenworth, Manning attempted suicide and went on a hunger strike, before the Army approved her for gender reassignment surgery.<\/p>\n<p>Her case remains politically divisive. She has been lauded as a hero by some on the left, but also decried as a traitor by many, including President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Manning was born in Oklahoma City in 1987 and lived in the United Kingdom for four years, before eventually deciding to enlist in the Army.<\/p>\n<p>Manning\u2019s felony convictions do not appear to bar her from running for Senate. The Constitution simply requires Senators to be 30 years of age, citizens of the United States and residents of the state in which they are seeking office.<\/p>\n<p><em>Katherine Shaver contributed to this report.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"fPykPB1SiSDxGq\" class=\"moat-trackable pb-f-theme-normal pb-f-dehydrate-false pb-f-async-true full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-article-article-author-bio\" data-chain-name=\"no-name\" data-feature-name=\"no-name\" data-feature-id=\"article\/article-author-bio\" data-pb-fingerprint=\"0f8I30JWIpK\">\n<div class=\"pb-bottom-author-wrapper border-bottom-hairline\">\n<div class=\"pb-bottom-author\">\n<div class=\"pb-headshot col-xs-0 col-sm-2\"><em><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" _1-to-1 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-apps\/imrs.php?src=https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/arc-authors\/washpost\/697a3d1c-1a87-4cee-bf1c-811236779d5a.jpg&amp;w=180&amp;h=180&amp;t=20170517a\" data-threshold=\"180\" \/><\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pb-author-info col-sm-offset-2\">\n<div class=\"pb-author-bio\"><em>Jenna Portnoy covers Virginia, Maryland and D.C. politics for The Washington Post.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?screen_name=jennaportnoy\">\u00a0Follow @jennaportnoy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chelsea Manning arrives for a forum last year in Nantucket, Mass. The appearance at the forum is part of The Nantucket Project&#8217;s annual gathering on the island. Manning is a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who spent time in prison for sharing classified documents. (Steven Senne\/AP) By\u00a0Justin Jouvenal\u00a0and\u00a0Jenna Portnoy\u00a0on\u00a0January 13,&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2018\/01\/13\/chelsea-manning-files-run-u-s-senate-maryland\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7481"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7484,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481\/revisions\/7484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}