The testimony of Sigurdur Thordarson, a convicted Icelandic “conman” who was allegedly volunteering for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange back in 2010 when he was just 17, appears in a new DoJ indictment against the Australian, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
Teenage Volunteer
Bloomberg cites “previously undisclosed online chat transcripts” to argue that during his work for Assange, Thordarson was tasked with managing a “chat portal” for volunteers, developing partnership with media companies, compiling information about people who turned against WikiLeaks – a so-called “enemies list” – as well as recruiting hackers to work for the organization. The teenage aide also tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to persuade Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney and other celebrities to come to Assange’s 40th birthday bash, the transcripts apparently reveal.
© AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
Protesters hold banners outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London, where Julian Assange is due to appear, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020.
According to the media, the young enthusiast also attempted to break into the computer system of the Icelandic government, although it’s not quite clear to what extent Assange was involved or even aware of these efforts, the report says. He was still in “close proximity” to his teenage volunteer at this time, given that the two started working together in November 2010.
However, after a year or so their close partnership reportedly came to an end due to a number of disputes. According to sources, in 2011 Thordarson turned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to hand over “thousands” of chat transcripts and other documentation gathered during his time with WikiLeaks.
Later, Thordarson was sentenced to five years in an Icelandic prison for a number of offences, including fraud, embezzlement and sexual offences against minors. He ..
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