US seeks to bar evidence of GI's motive from WikiLeaks trial; pretrial hearing set for 4 days

Published January 08, 2015

An Army private charged with sending reams of classified documents to WikiLeaks is returning to Fort Meade for a pretrial hearing about whether his motivation matters.

Prosecutors are asking the military judge to bar the defense from producing evidence at trial regarding Pfc. Bradley Manning's motive for allegedly causing the online publication of hundreds of thousands of secret war logs and diplomatic cables. The four-day hearing begins Tuesday.

Manning allegedly told an online confidant he leaked the material because he wanted people to see the truth. He has offered to take responsibility in a pending plea offer. But he still could face trial on charges that include aiding the enemy.

Prosecutors say Manning's motive is irrelevant to whether he leaked the material knowing it would be seen by al-Qaida.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-seeks-to-bar-evidence-of-gis-motive-from-wikileaks-trial-pretrial-hearing-set-for-4-days