NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner

This Fresh Air episode features an interview with Reality Winner, a former Air Force crypto linguist and NSA contractor, about her memoir "I Am Not Your Enemy." Winner discusses her background, including her work translating intercepted communications and her growing disillusionment with the nature of her work and its impact. She details her decision to leak a classified document about Russian cyberattacks on voter registration software and local election officials to The Intercept, the mishandling of the document by the publication, and her subsequent arrest and conviction under the Espionage Act. Winner also recounts her experiences in county jail and federal prison, including the harsh conditions, the COVID-19 lockdown, and her struggles with mental health and addiction. Finally, she reflects on her life after prison, her relationships, and her current studies to become a veterinary technician.