“Stirling grew up really feeling that he was going to make it out of the situation that is so often consigned to poor, black Americans, and so he really was resolute, from everything I understand, that he wasn’t going to end up behind bars, he wasn’t going to use drugs, he wasn’t going to break the law. My impression is that he’s stunned. In a sense, his worst case scenario, that he had dedicated his life to be in the opposite situation of, has come to pass, in that he’s a black man in a federal prison.” Norman Solomon — US Journalist

Jeffrey Alexander Sterling is an American lawyer and former CIA employee who was arrested, charged, and convicted of violating the Espionage Act for revealing details about Operation Merlin to journalist James Risen. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

On May 2015, Sterling was sentenced to 3½ years in prison and thus set for release in 2018. On August 11 2016, Jeffrey Sterling filed a health complaint against Colorado federal correctional institution.

Latest news

Jeffrey’s wife Holly passed a bit of information and the news is not reassuring.

“Jeffrey continues to have cardiac issues. He has not been to a physician since the initial consultation. There have been instances when he does not know if his heart medication prescription will even be filled.” “There has been no movement from the appellate court whatsoever. So we are at a status quo. Jeffrey continues to languish in a federal correctional facility for being a Patriot.” Please write him to show your support. Jeffrey Sterling, 38338-044

FCI Englewood

FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

9595 WEST QUINCY AVENUE

LITTLETON, CO 80123

A Dubious Case

The reporter, James Risen, refused to identify his sources. During the trial, Special Agent Ashley Hunt admitted that there was absolutely no email records, no phone call records and that no one had witnessed the two being together exchanging classified information.

Appealing the conviction

As the Court reviews his conviction, it appears that Judge Gregory seems to be very critical of the ‘evidence’ presented by the prosecutor.

Just because Sterling and Risen were communicating does not prove that Sterling was also leaking classified information.

Health issues

His wife — Holly Sterling — told The Colorado Independent by phone from St. Louis, Missouri, that she worries health issues

“I’m concerned my husband may die,” she said. “I’m extremely concerned.” In the past few months, Jeffrey Sterling, 49, who says he has a history of atrial fibrillation, has been “subjected to unresponsive and dismissive medical care” at the Colorado federal correctional institution known as FCI Englewood, according to an Aug. 11 complaint he filed. Holly Sterling provided a copy of the complaint to The Independent. The complaint says Sterling continually suffers chest pressure, shortness of breath, sweating and an uneven heartbeat, but isn’t receiving adequate care, and instead is being told to drink more water. Sterling says he wants outside medical attention. He is asking for his medical records to be transferred from the prison to his wife so she can have them reviewed by a specialist. FCI Englewood didn’t respond to an email from The Independent, but an executive assistant at the prison told Holly Sterling in writing that all medical problems for which her husband has sought care “have been appropriately addressed and treated.” Holly Sterling says the prison’s response to her inquiries have contained inaccurate information, such as dates for incidents.

August 19 2016 — There is now however a bit of good news for Holly and her husband. Prison officials say that they will consider having a cardiac specialist see her husband. That is good news. Still, it may take up to a month for that to happen… Here the last message that Holly Stirling posted:

“Today, I received an encouraging telephone call from my beloved husband Jeffrey. He informed me that he was called to the Health Services Department this morning by the attending physician. Jeffrey and the physician discussed his prior EKG results and blood test. The physician is making a request for a consultation with an outside cardiac specialist. Per the physician, the approval can take up to 30 days, and if the request is denied, he will appeal the decision. In the meantime, Jeffrey has a follow up appointment with the attending physician on August 29th at 3pm.”

TIMELINE

Jeffrey Alexander Sterling is an American lawyer and former CIA employee who was arrested, charged, and convicted of violating the Espionage Act for revealing details about Operation Merlin to journalist James Risen. Sterling denies the charges.

The case against him is circumstantial. (There is evidence that Sterling and Risen have called each other. Risen has of course dozens of contacts at the CIA.)

Sterling joined the CIA on May 14, 1993. In 1995, he became operations officer in the Iran task force of the CIA’s Near East and South Asia division.

On December 22, 2010, U.S. attorney Neil H. MacBride filed an indictment against Jeffrey Alexander Sterling on the Unlawful Retention and Unauthorized Disclosure of National Defense Information, Mail Fraud, Unauthorized Conveyance of Government Property, and Obstruction of Justice.

On January 6 2011, Sterling was arrested.

On January 26, 2015, Sterling was convicted of espionage charges .

On 11 May 2015, Sterling was sentenced to 3½ years in prison and thus set for release in 2018.

On August 11 2016, Jeffrey Sterling filed a health complaint against Colorado federal correctional institution.

December 2016 — Jeffrey’s appellate hearing took place in early December 2016. “His attorneys did a phenomenal job and there were some pointed questions asked by at least one judge.”

For now, his wife and friends hope that all three judges believe in Jeffrey’s innocence and overturn the verdict on all counts.

Documentary

Official website

A website has been set up to keep people informed. It is possible to make a donation to help Jeffrey’s family to ease the ongoing financial burdens they face. The fund has already received $80,000. Interestingly, a donation comes from a person named Daniel Ellsberg.

Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7, 1931) is an activist and former United States military analyst who, while employed by the RAND Corporation, precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, to The New York Times and other newspapers. Ellsberg was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 along with other charges of theft and conspiracy, carrying a total maximum sentence of 115 years. Due to governmental misconduct and illegal evidence gathering, and the defense by Leonard Boudin and Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson, Judge Byrne dismissed all charges against Ellsberg on May 11, 1973. RELATED POST: Steven Spielberg to direct ‘Pentagon Papers’ film

REFERENCES

‘My husband may die’ in a Colorado prison, says wife of CIA whistleblower

He was fired from the CIA and jailed for a leak. Now he’s trying to hang on

I Was a CIA Whistleblower. Now I’m a Black Inmate. Here’s How I See American Racism. — The Intercept Sept. 13 2016

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US Prison officials no longer respond to CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling’s health complaint