The Arrest and Reveal

Bradley Manning

While the newspapers were readying and releasing the secret information, Manning and Lamo allegedly were chatting, setting in motion the events culminating in the arrest of Manning. The gap between the conversations on IM and the arrest was shockingly brief. Manning was arrested on May 26, just five days after Lamo had initially allegedly made contact with him, and only three after Lamo had informed the authorities about Manning.

Manning was taken to a military jail in Kuwait before being transferred to the U.S., in July, where he is still imprisoned awaiting trial. The news of his arrest was first published by Wired on June 6. The same day the U.S. government brought charges against Manning: He was charged with transferring classified data; and communicating this information to an unauthorized source.

Later, after public opinion began to solidify against him, the government would bring more charges, many of them far more detailed and serious.