Reality Winner, the former intelligence contractor, explained to CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday why she leaked a top-secret document, an act that landed in her prison for over 4 years.

Winner, who is also served in the Air Force for 6 years, said she felt compelled to leak the document, which detailed Russia’s activities to interfere in the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump.

“I am not a traitor – I am not a spy,” she told CBS, adding, “I am somebody who only acted out of love for what this country stands for.”

CBS’ Scott Pelley played a clip of Donald Trump “raising doubt that Russia attacked the 2016 election,” noting, “His interview with John Dickerson was typical of the time.” Pelley then played a clip of Trump’s comments during the interview.

“I’ll go along with Russia, could have been China, could’ve been a lot of different groups,” said Trump.

“But it was Russia and the NSA knew it. Reality Winner had seen proof in a top secret report on an in-house newsfeed,” Pelley adds.

Winner then tells Pelley during the interview, “I just kept thinking, ‘My God, somebody needs to step forward and put this right. Somebody.’”

“I am not a traitor. I am not a spy. I am somebody who only acted out of love for what this country stands for.” Reality Winner explains why she leaked to the media classified information on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. https://t.co/OoCNsP9343 pic.twitter.com/xz6xhK7emE

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) July 24, 2022

“I knew it was secret,” Winner said of the report she leaked. “But I also knew that I had pledged service to the American people. And at that point in time, it felt like they were being led astray.”

She adds that she did “did not betray” the country’s “sources and methods” when leaking the document.

The document, which she reportedly tucked into her pantyhose underneath her dress to sneak out of the office detailed how Russian military intelligence hacked “at least one supplier of voting software and tried to break into more than 100 local election systems before the polls closed in 2016,” according to the Guardian.

“The truth wasn’t true any more,” Winner added, concluding that she had to do something as “The public was being lied to.”

The post ‘The Truth Wasn’t True Any More’: Reality Winner Explains Why She Leaked File on Russia Election Hacking first appeared on Mediaite.

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