WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could be charged under the Espionage Act for making public classified US government documents which he obtained illegally, a media report said in Washington on Tuesday.
US authorities are investigating whether Assange, also Editor-in-Chief of the whistle-blower website, violated criminal laws by disclosing the classified information, The Washington Post reported.
The FBI is examining everyone who came into possession of the documents, including those who gave the material to WikiLeaks and also the organisation itself, it said, citing those familiar with the probe.
According to the Post, charges against WikiLeaks and Assange could be filed under the Espionage Act.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that “the stealing of classified information and its dissemination is a crime."