Chelsea Manning facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chelsea Manning
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Manning in 2022
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| Born | December 17, 1987 Oklahoma City, U.S.
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| Known for | Classified document disclosure to WikiLeaks |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Criminal charge(s) | Violating the Espionage Act, stealing government property, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, multiple counts of disobeying orders |
| Criminal penalty | 35 years imprisonment (commuted to 7 years total confinement), reduction in rank to private (E-1 or Pvt), forfeiture of all pay and allowances, dishonorable discharge |
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United States Army |
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| Rank | Private (formerly Specialist) |
| Unit | 2nd BCT, 10th Mountain Division (former) |
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Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower. She is a former United States Army soldier. In July 2013, she was found responsible for sharing many secret military and diplomatic documents with WikiLeaks. She was held in prison from 2010 until 2017. President Barack Obama then reduced her sentence. Chelsea Manning is a trans woman. In 2013, she shared that she had a female gender identity since she was a child. She asked to be known as Chelsea Manning.
In 2009, Manning worked as an intelligence analyst for the Army in Iraq. She had access to secret computer systems. In early 2010, she shared secret information with WikiLeaks. She told an online friend, Adrian Lamo, about it. Lamo then told the Army, and Manning was arrested in May 2010. The information she shared included videos of a helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 and an airstrike in Afghanistan in 2009. She also shared many U.S. diplomatic messages and Army reports. These reports became known as the "Iraq War Logs" and "Afghan War Diary". WikiLeaks and its news partners published this information between April 2010 and April 2011.
Manning faced many charges. The most serious charge was "aiding the enemy." This charge could have led to a very severe penalty. She was held in Virginia from July 2010 to April 2011. During this time, she was often kept alone, which caused concern. She was then moved to a facility in Kansas where she could interact with others. In February 2013, she admitted guilt to some of the charges. Her trial for the other charges began in June 2013. On July 30, she was found responsible for many of the original charges. However, she was found not responsible for aiding the enemy. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison. On January 17, 2017, President Obama reduced her sentence. She was released after nearly seven years. Since her release, Manning has worked as a public speaker.
In 2018, Manning ran for the United States Senate in Maryland. She challenged Senator Ben Cardin for the Democratic nomination. She received a small percentage of the votes, and Cardin won. From March 2019 to March 2020, Manning was held in jail. This was because she refused to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Growing Up in Oklahoma and Wales
Chelsea Manning was born in 1987 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her mother was Welsh, and her father was American. Her father had served in the United States Navy as an intelligence analyst. Manning has an older sister. The family lived in Oklahoma, where they had a house with land.
Manning's childhood was difficult. She was often left to play by herself with Lego toys or on the computer. She was very good at science and computers. She even created a website when she was 10 years old. She won prizes at science fairs and quiz bowls.
As a child, Manning had strong opinions about religion and politics. For example, she would stay silent during the part of the Pledge of Allegiance that mentioned God. When she was 13, she told a friend that she was gay. Around this time, her parents divorced.
In November 2001, when she was 14, Manning and her mother moved to Haverfordwest, Wales. Her mother had family there. Manning went to Tasker Milward secondary school. She was the only American student there. Friends described her as unique, opinionated, and very clever. She continued her interest in computers. In 2003, she and a friend started an online message board for games and music.
Manning faced bullying at school in Wales. Students often made fun of her accent. She had told some friends in Oklahoma that she was gay, but she was not open about it in Wales.
Returning to the U.S. and New Beginnings
After finishing high school in 2005, Manning returned to the U.S. She moved in with her father in Oklahoma City. She found a job as a software developer, but she was let go after four months. Her boss said she sometimes "locked up" and stared, making communication hard.
Manning then lived as an openly gay man. Her relationship with her father was good, but she had problems with her stepmother. In March 2006, she was asked to leave the house after an argument. She moved to Tulsa, then Chicago, before running out of money. Her mother arranged for her to stay with her aunt in Potomac, Maryland. Manning spent 15 months with her aunt, which was a stable time for her. She had a boyfriend, worked low-paid jobs, and studied history and English at Montgomery College for a semester.
Military Service and Disclosures
Joining the Army
In 2007, Manning's father encouraged her to join the Army. She hoped to get a college education through the G.I. Bill. She also hoped that joining a masculine environment would help her with her gender identity. She enlisted in September 2007.
Manning began basic training in Missouri in October 2007. She soon realized it was very challenging. She faced bullying and had a difficult time. However, she fought back against the drill sergeants. She was called "General Manning" because she would scream back at them.
After graduating in April 2008, she went to Arizona for advanced training. She became an intelligence analyst and received a high-level security clearance. This clearance gave her access to a lot of secret information. She was warned for posting videos online that showed the inside of a secure facility.
Deployment to Iraq
In August 2008, Manning was sent to Fort Drum in New York. She trained for deployment to Iraq. She continued to have emotional problems and was referred to a mental health counselor.
In October 2009, Manning was deployed to a base near Baghdad, Iraq. She had access to secret computer networks. Her superiors had concerns about sending her to Iraq, but they needed intelligence analysts. In November 2009, she was promoted to Specialist.
Manning was unhappy and felt alone in Iraq. The military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy meant she could not live openly as a gay man. She worked long night shifts in a crowded, dimly lit room. In December 2009, she overturned a table during a counseling session. Witnesses believed her access to secret material should have been removed. In January 2010, she began posting on Facebook about feeling hopeless.
Sharing Information with WikiLeaks
Manning said she first contacted WikiLeaks in January 2010. She had noticed them in November 2009 when they posted messages from the September 11 attacks.
On January 5, 2010, Manning downloaded 400,000 documents, which became the Iraq War logs. On January 8, she downloaded 91,000 documents from the Afghanistan database. She saved the information on a CD labeled "Lady Gaga" to hide it. She pretended to listen to music while copying the files. She then copied them to her personal computer.
Manning copied the files to an SD card for her camera. She took it with her when she went on leave to the U.S. Army investigators later found the card at her aunt's home. During her leave, she dressed as a woman for the first time. She told a friend she had sensitive information and was thinking about sharing it.
Manning tried to contact The Washington Post and The New York Times to see if they were interested in the material. Neither newspaper seemed interested or returned her calls. She decided to give the information to WikiLeaks. On February 3, she sent them the Iraq and Afghan War logs. She returned to Iraq on February 11.
Around February 18, she sent WikiLeaks a diplomatic message from the U.S. Embassy in Iceland. WikiLeaks published it quickly, which showed Manning they had received her other files. She found the Baghdad helicopter attack video and sent it to WikiLeaks around February 21. In late March, she sent them a video of the 2009 Granai airstrike in Afghanistan. Between March 28 and April 9, she downloaded 250,000 diplomatic messages and uploaded them to WikiLeaks.
Manning told the court she became friends with someone at WikiLeaks, believed to be Julian Assange. This friendship made her feel like she could be herself. Army investigators found chats between Manning and someone believed to be Assange on her computer. Manning said that the more she tried to fit in at work, the more alone she felt. Her connection with WikiLeaks gave her a break from her isolation.
Personal Challenges and Arrest
On April 24, 2010, Manning sent an email to her supervisor. She said she was experiencing gender identity issues. She included a photo of herself dressed as a woman. She wrote that she had felt this way for a long time and that it was causing her great pain.
Her supervisor discussed the situation with Manning's therapists but did not tell anyone higher up. He was worried the photo would be shared. Manning's company commander only saw the email after her arrest.
Manning told former hacker Adrian Lamo that she had created online accounts as "Breanna" to have a female identity. She wrote to Lamo that she wouldn't mind going to prison for sharing information, but she worried about photos of her as a boy being shown everywhere. On April 30, she posted on Facebook that she felt lost and frustrated.
On May 7, Manning was found in a storage cupboard with a knife. She had cut words into a chair. A few hours later, she had an argument with another soldier and punched her. The brigade psychiatrist recommended she be discharged. Manning's supervisor removed the firing part from her weapon. She was sent to work in the supply office, but her security clearance remained. She was demoted from Specialist to Private First Class three days before her arrest on May 27.
On May 9, Manning contacted a novelist on Facebook, saying she had been involved in "very high-profile events." On May 19, she emailed a mathematician and said she was the source of the Baghdad airstrike video. Two days later, she began chatting with Adrian Lamo, which led to her arrest.
WikiLeaks was started in late 2006 to share secret or legally sensitive information. Julian Assange, an Australian activist, was its editor-in-chief. The site allowed people to submit information anonymously.
WikiLeaks did not say Manning was their source. However, Army investigators found chats on Manning's computer between her and someone believed to be Assange. No clear evidence was found that Assange told Manning what to do.
On February 18, 2010, WikiLeaks posted the first information from Manning: a diplomatic message from the U.S. Embassy in Iceland. On March 15, WikiLeaks posted a report from the U.S. Department of Defense about WikiLeaks itself. On March 29, it posted U.S. State Department profiles of politicians in Iceland.
Baghdad Airstrike Video
WikiLeaks called the Baghdad airstrike video "Collateral Murder." Julian Assange released it on April 5, 2010. The video showed two U.S. helicopters firing on a group of men in Baghdad. Two Reuters employees were among those killed. The pilots mistook their cameras for weapons. The helicopters also fired on a van that stopped to help the wounded. Two children in the van were hurt, and their father was killed. The video was seen by millions and made WikiLeaks very well known.
War Logs and Diplomatic Cables
On July 25, 2010, WikiLeaks and three news partners began publishing the 91,731 documents known as the Afghan War Logs. On October 22, 2010, they published 391,832 secret military reports from January 2004 to December 2009. These became known as the Iraq War Logs. The release of these documents was a huge moment for information sharing.
Manning was also responsible for the "Cablegate" leak. This included 251,287 State Department messages from American embassies around the world. These messages were published starting November 28, 2010. WikiLeaks said it was the largest release of secret documents ever.
Manning and Adrian Lamo
First Contact and Chats
On May 20, 2010, Manning contacted Adrian Lamo. Lamo was a former computer hacker who had been in the news. Manning sent him encrypted emails. Lamo could not read them but replied and invited her to chat online. Lamo later gave these emails to the FBI.
In chats between May 21 and 25, Manning told Lamo that she had shared secret information. She introduced herself as an Army intelligence analyst. She quickly hinted at the leaks. Lamo told her he was a journalist and a minister, and that their conversation could be a private confession or an interview that would not be published.
Manning said she felt alone and fragile. She was reaching out to someone she hoped would understand. She told Lamo she had started helping WikiLeaks around November 2009. She said she recognized that the 9/11 pager messages came from a secret database. This made her feel comfortable about coming forward.
Manning described the information she shared as "crazy, almost criminal political backdealings." She said she worked directly with Assange, but he tried to know little about her. Lamo again promised her that their conversation was private. Manning said she was talking to him for "moral and emotional support."
Manning said the most impactful event for her was when Iraqi police arrested 15 people for printing anti-Iraqi writings. She found that these people had uncovered corruption within the Iraqi government. She reported this to her commanding officer, but he told her to help the police find more people to arrest. Manning said this made her realize she was involved in something she was completely against.
She said she felt connected to everyone, like they were distant family. She hoped the information would lead to "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms." She said she downloaded the material onto Lady Gaga music CDs, then erased the music and replaced it with the secret files. She said no one noticed because staff were working very long hours.
Lamo Contacts Authorities
Soon after chatting with Manning, Lamo talked to Chet Uber and Timothy Webster. They both advised Lamo to go to the authorities. His friend told the Army's Criminal Investigation Command (CID). CID agents then contacted Lamo. He told them he believed Manning was putting lives in danger.
On May 25, Lamo met with FBI and Army investigators. He showed them the chat logs. He also shared the story with Kevin Poulsen of Wired magazine. On May 27, he gave Poulsen the chat logs and Manning's name. The FBI told him that Manning had been arrested in Iraq the day before. Wired published the news of her arrest on June 6.
Legal Process and Detention
Arrest and Charges
The Army's Criminal Investigation Command arrested Manning on May 27, 2010. Four days later, she was moved to Kuwait. In July, she was charged with several offenses. These charges were updated in March 2011 to 22 charges. The most serious charge was "aiding the enemy." This was a very serious charge, but prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty.
Time in Detention
Manning–WikiLeaks timeline
- October 2009: Manning sent to Iraq.
- November 2009: Manning finds Baghdad airstrike video.
- November 25, 2009: WikiLeaks publishes 9/11 pager messages.
- November 2009: Manning allegedly contacts WL.
- February 18, 2010: WL releases Reykjavik 13 cable, purportedly from Manning.
- March 15, 2010: WL releases Defense Dept report about WL, purportedly from Manning.
- March 29, 2010: WL releases State Dept profiles, purportedly from Manning.
- April 5, 2010: WL releases Baghdad airstrike video, purportedly from Manning.
- May 21–25, 2010: Manning and Adrian Lamo chat.
- May 27, 2010: Manning arrested in Iraq.
- June 6, 2010: Wired publishes partial Manning–Lamo chat logs.
- July 5, 2010: Manning charged.
- July 25, 2010: WL releases Afghan War logs, purportedly from Manning.
- July 29, 2010: Manning transferred to the US.
- October 22, 2010: WL releases Iraq War logs, purportedly from Manning.
- November 28, 2010: Newspapers publish US diplomatic cables from WL, purportedly from Manning.
- January 2011: UN Special Rapporteur submits inquiry to US about Manning.
- March 1, 2011: Manning charged with more offenses.
- December 16, 2011: Article 32 hearing begins.
- February 2012: Manning ordered to stand trial.
- February 28, 2013: Manning pleads guilty to 10 of 22 charges.
- June 3, 2013: Trial begins.
- July 30, 2013: Manning convicted on most charges; acquitted of aiding the enemy.
- August 21, 2013: Manning sentenced to 35 years.
- September 4, 2013: Manning and her lawyers started seeking a presidential pardon.
While in Kuwait, Manning was placed on special watch due to concerns about her well-being. She was moved to Virginia on July 29, 2010. She was kept in a small cell with no window. She was not allowed to sleep between certain hours and had to remain visible at all times. Her lawyer said she felt this was punishment before her trial.
These detention conditions caused national and international concern. Juan E. Méndez, a UN expert on torture, said the U.S. government's treatment of Manning was "cruel, inhuman and degrading." Amnesty International asked the British government to help. On March 10, 2011, a State Department spokesman criticized Manning's treatment. The next day, President Obama said her treatment was "appropriate." Under pressure, the spokesman resigned. On April 20, Manning was moved to a different facility in Kansas. There, she had a cell with a window and could interact with other detainees.
Trial and Sentence
In April 2011, experts said Manning was fit to stand trial. A hearing began on December 16, 2011. The prosecution presented many documents, including chat logs and secret material. Investigators found many State Department messages and military reports on Manning's computers and storage devices. They also found encrypted chats between Manning and someone believed to be Assange.
Manning's lawyers argued that the government had exaggerated the harm caused by the documents. They also questioned if Manning's personal challenges affected her actions.
The judge ruled in January 2013 that Manning's sentence would be reduced by 112 days because of her treatment in detention. On February 28, Manning admitted guilt to 10 of the 22 charges. She said she shared the information "to show the true cost of war." Prosecutors continued with a court-martial for the remaining charges.
The trial began on June 3, 2013. On July 30, Manning was found responsible for 17 of the 22 charges, including espionage and theft. She was found not responsible for aiding the enemy. The sentencing phase began the next day.
A military psychologist testified that Manning felt isolated in the Army. He said she was dealing with gender identity issues in a very masculine environment. Another psychiatrist said Manning believed her shared information would change how the world viewed wars. She hoped it would lead to "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms."
On August 14, Manning apologized to the court. She said, "I am sorry that my actions hurt people. I'm sorry that they hurt the United States." She added that she believed she was helping people, not hurting them.
Manning's offenses could have led to a maximum sentence of 90 years. The government asked for 60 years. Manning's lawyer asked for no more than 25 years. On August 21, she was sentenced to 35 years in prison. She also lost her rank and pay. She was confined at the US Disciplinary Barracks in Kansas. The sentence was criticized as "unjust and unfair" and "excessive" by major newspapers.
On April 14, 2014, Manning's request for clemency was denied. Her case went to the United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals for review.
Requests for Release and Commutation
On September 3, 2013, Manning's lawyer asked President Obama to reduce her sentence. The request argued that Manning's disclosures did not cause "real damage." It also said the documents were not sensitive enough to need protection. Amnesty International supported the request, saying Manning's leaks exposed human rights violations.
In November 2016, Manning formally asked Obama to reduce her 35-year sentence to the six years she had already served. A petition to commute her sentence reached enough signatures for an official response.
In January 2017, Manning was on Obama's list for a possible commutation. On January 17, Obama reduced almost all of Manning's remaining sentence. He said her original 35-year sentence was "very disproportionate" compared to what other people who shared information had received. He chose to reduce her sentence, not pardon her. Manning was released from prison on May 17, 2017.
On May 31, 2018, the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals upheld Manning's conviction. The court said Manning knew the information she was sharing was secret and could harm national defense. They also said her actions were not protected by the First Amendment. On May 30, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces denied her further appeal.
2019 Jailing for Refusal to Testify
In February 2019, Manning was asked to testify in a U.S. government case against Julian Assange. Manning refused to testify. She said she had nothing new to add and that she believed the grand jury process was being misused.
On March 8, 2019, Manning was found in contempt of court and jailed in Virginia. Her release depended on her testifying or the grand jury finishing its work. She was initially held in isolation for 28 days. Her supporters called this "effective solitary confinement." On April 22, 2019, a federal appeals court upheld the decision to keep her in jail.
After the grand jury's term ended, Manning was released on May 9, 2019. However, she was immediately asked to appear before a new grand jury. She again refused to testify. The court ordered her back to jail and fined her $500 for each day over 30 days, and $1,000 for each day over 60 days. On December 30, 2019, a United Nations expert accused the U.S. government of torturing Manning and called for her release.
On March 12, 2020, a U.S. District Judge ordered Manning's release. The judge said the grand jury's work was done, so her testimony was no longer needed. He denied her request to cancel the fines, which totaled $256,000. Supporters quickly raised money online to pay her fines.
Public Reaction to Disclosures
The release of the information, especially the diplomatic messages, received worldwide attention. Many governments blocked websites that contained embarrassing details. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said he had never seen a story cause such a stir, except for major events like wars.
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United States Navy Admiral Michael Mullen said the leaks put American soldiers and informants in danger. Journalist Glenn Greenwald called Manning the most important whistleblower since Daniel Ellsberg in 1971. President Obama said Manning "broke the law."
In 2011, Manning and WikiLeaks were seen as helping to start the Arab Spring. This was a series of protests across the Middle East and North Africa. The leaked messages exposed government corruption. However, some scholars later said the role of WikiLeaks was overemphasized.
A Washington Post editorial questioned why an Army private could access and share such sensitive material. A Defense Department report a year after the leaks found that Manning's disclosures had no major strategic impact on U.S. war efforts.
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Manning received a "Whistleblowerpreis" award in Germany. Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills and Nash released a song about her. In 2012, she received a "People's Choice Award" from Global Exchange. In 2013, the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation gave her The US Peace Prize for her bravery. The International Peace Bureau also awarded her the Sean MacBride Peace Prize. In 2014, she received the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence.
Icelandic and Swedish politicians nominated Manning and Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. A petition supporting her nomination received over 100,000 signatures.
In May 2015, an art installation called Anything to Say? was placed in Berlin. It featured bronze statues of Manning, Snowden, and Assange. It was meant to be a "monument for courage."
In 2015, Paper magazine asked artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg to create portraits of Manning using her DNA. These portraits were shown at the World Economic Forum in 2016. In 2017, Manning and Dewey-Hagborg presented their work together at an exhibition in New York City.
In September 2017, Manning accepted the EFF Pioneer Award. This award recognized her actions as a whistleblower and her work for government openness and transgender rights. In November, Out magazine named her 2017 Newsmaker of the Year. Foreign Policy honored her as one of its 2017 Global Thinkers.
In October 2020, Manning shared a prize for Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information. She accepted the award from her home in Brooklyn, New York.
Gender Transition Journey
Public Announcement and Name Change
Manning wrote that her first public appearance as female was in February 2010. This was while she was on leave from her military duties. She felt excited to blend in as a woman.
On August 22, 2013, the day after her sentencing, Manning's attorney announced that his client was female. He asked that she be called Chelsea and referred to with feminine pronouns. Manning's statement said: "I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible." She asked for support in her transition.
News organizations reacted differently to Manning's request. Some used her new name and pronouns, while others did not. Groups like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign encouraged media outlets to use her self-identified name and pronouns.
Medical Treatment and Legal Steps
In April 2014, a court in Kansas approved Manning's legal name change. An Army spokesman said the Army would update her records but would still consider her male for military purposes. Manning sought hormone therapy and the right to live as a woman while in prison. This treatment is available in civilian federal prisons when medically needed, but not in military prisons.
In July, the Federal Bureau of Prisons refused to transfer Manning to a civilian facility for treatment. The Army decided to keep her in military custody and provide basic gender treatment. This could include allowing her to wear female undergarments and receive hormone treatments.
On August 12, 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Manning was not receiving the approved treatment. They warned of a lawsuit if treatment was not confirmed. On August 22, an Army spokeswoman said the Department of Defense had approved medical treatment for Manning's gender identity condition.
In September, Manning filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of Defense. She claimed she was denied necessary medical treatment. She wanted to be allowed to grow her hair longer, use cosmetics, and receive hormone treatments to express her female gender.
On February 12, 2015, USA Today reported that the prison commandant approved adding hormone treatment to Manning's plan. This was a first for the Army. Manning was not allowed to grow her hair longer. Her ACLU attorney said the delay in approval caused her significant mental health challenges.
On March 5, 2015, a military appeals court ruled that all future formal papers and orders should use neutral or feminine pronouns for Manning. In April 2015, Manning wrote that she finally began her hormone therapy in February. She said it was a great relief for her body and mind to feel more aligned.
Surgery and Post-Release Care
On September 13, 2016, the ACLU announced that the Army would grant Manning's request for gender transition surgery. This was a first for a transgender inmate. However, the operation was not performed before her release in May 2017.
On October 20, 2018, Manning shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed. She said she was recovering from gender reassignment surgery. She wrote, "After almost a decade of fighting, thru prison, the courts, a hunger strike, and thru the insurance company—I finally got surgery this week." In May 2019, Manning formally confirmed in a court document that she had undergone gender confirmation surgery in October 2018.
Life After Prison
Public Appearances and Activism
On June 9, 2017, Manning appeared on Good Morning America. This was her first interview after her release. She said she "accepted responsibility" for her actions and thanked former President Obama. She now earns a living through speaking engagements.
On September 13, 2017, Manning was named a visiting fellow at Harvard University. Harvard said she would visit for events to discuss topics like LGBTQ identity in the military. The next day, Michael Morell, a former CIA director, resigned from Harvard. He said he could not be part of an organization that honored a convicted person who leaked secret information. The CIA director, Mike Pompeo, also withdrew from a scheduled appearance.
On September 15, 2017, the dean of the Kennedy School at Harvard said inviting Manning as a visiting fellow was a mistake. He withdrew the title but kept the invitation for her to speak. Manning said she was not ashamed of being disinvited.
Travel Challenges
On September 22, 2017, Manning was denied entry to Canada. Canadian officials said she was not allowed in because of her criminal record, which was similar to treason in Canada. Manning had planned to vacation in Montreal and Vancouver. She said she would hire a lawyer to challenge the decision. In April 2022, Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board upheld the decision to bar her entry.
U.S. Senate Campaign
On January 11, 2018, Manning filed to run for the United States Senate in Maryland. She challenged the sitting senator, Ben Cardin, as a Democrat. Questions were raised about her eligibility to run because she was still technically on unpaid active duty with the military. Manning said she did not believe it was an issue.
Manning said she had no plans to run television ads. She called her opponent "old hat." In May, she told the Associated Press that she did not truly consider herself a Democrat. She wanted to challenge established Democrats. On June 26, 2018, Manning finished second in the primary election. She received 5.8% of the votes.
After the election, Manning said her experiences had taken a toll on her health. She thanked her donors and volunteers. She also said that the change people needed went beyond what the two-party system offered.
New Projects
In August 2021, Forbes reported that Manning was hired to conduct an information security audit for a Swiss technology company. This company works with blockchain technology to send data anonymously online.
In May 2019, Manning announced that she would publish her memoir. The book, README.txt, was published in 2022. It focuses on her early adulthood, Army career, and early gender transition. Manning said she wanted to share her life story from her own perspective.
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Before her arrest in 2010, Manning sometimes worked as a DJ. She has returned to DJing as of August 2022.
Images for kids
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Chelsea Manning's signature
See also
In Spanish: Chelsea Manning para niños
