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Judge to Assange Backers: Pony Up $150K

Meanwhile, Assange looking into suing Australian PM

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 8, 2012 8:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – Sorry, Michael Moore. Today a judge ordered the filmmaker, and the rest of the cadre of supporters who posted bail for Julian Assange, to pay $150,000 now that the WikiLeaks founder has skipped bail and taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy, the AP reports. The supporters have argued that they should not be penalized. Assange's backers have already lost a significant chunk of change on their investment.

Assange, meanwhile, hasn't been exactly idle inside the embassy; he's hired a lawyer to explore a possible defamation suit against Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, he revealed in an interview with activist group GetUp! In 2010, Gillard condemned WikiLeaks' US cable dump, calling it "grossly irresponsible" and "illegal," Russia Today explains. Assange says those statements "directly affect the financial viability of WikiLeaks," because MasterCard used them to justify its ban on the group. But one prominent defamation lawyer says the suit is a publicity stunt, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Michael Moore addresses several hundred Occupy Oakland protesters outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif., Oct. 28, 2011.
Michael Moore addresses several hundred Occupy Oakland protesters outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif., Oct. 28, 2011.   (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 27 comments
ddhartma
Oct 8, 2012 3:11 PM CDT
If they really "believed" in him enough to post his bail, then they should believe in him enough to pony up.
WinglessExtremist
Oct 8, 2012 2:19 PM CDT
Oh man if Michael Moore likes Julian I'm going to have to reassess my views on the matter, if there is one American I can't stand - it's that fat, shit head.
Writefromwrong
Oct 8, 2012 1:09 PM CDT
First of all why are there so many negatives against Wiki Leaks? I say if all these governments have so many secrets, and Wiki Leaks them out, it belongs to the Citizens of Humanity, because it involves all of us on Earth. We all pay into some tax scam, so we should all be told about any secrets being kept from us. You can arrest one man for bringing you black ops organizers against our will, be "WE the People" will always win. So back off the little people and mind your own business!  I say we all have the right to know anything that pertains to any Human alive that can affect outside of the secret holder, as long as it's the truth, and not some BS made up be the media that's paid off to hide news that the truth. Also the media should all print the truth and nothing but the truth, and if the falsities affect the person or other in real life negatively, then that person/entity should have the right to sue for three times the damage plus every year of damage X the damage of such person/entity. Besides if it was that secret and it was so easy to get, then I say you have an inside leak that you should take care of, not some person getting that information, and printing it. It just goes to show how much crap the governments are holding against the citizens of the world in secret. They have their secret agenda's against the citizens and are doing all they can to find out the secrets of militia's and anyone against the government that has those secrets. Are we killing off your government people for finding out your secrets? I don't think so, and even when we protest in the utmost respect for the police and military, you arrest us for doing no harm or even doing bodily harm to civilians with no weapons in hand. You all better be careful, because even cornered animal will have a breaking point and fight back with a vengance. When there is a President that comes forward against the Federal Reserve, they have some accident and are killed. Then I say we do the same to any other that comes against the Citizens, if we can't get it solved peaceably, we solve the problem the same way the government does, by secret death squads. Just sayin that's all.............. Oh and if you find that I have been killed or disappeared from the face of the earth remember that the government of the United States has hidden death squads and my demise would be the evidence, and should not be forgotten until you find out the truth behind my demise. I am not afraid, as my God is my witness, and the truth will set you free.
 

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