WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange suggested that the Democratic National Committee staffer shot dead last month in Washington, DC, was killed because he was a “source.”
“Whistleblowers go to significant efforts to get us material and often very significant risks. As a 27-year-old, works for the DNC, was shot in the back, murdered just a few weeks ago for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington,” he told Dutch TV, referring to Seth Rich, who was gunned down in the early morning hours of July 10 while walking to his apartment in Bloomingdale.
The interviewer followed up by asking, “That was just a robbery, I believe. Wasn’t it?”
The WikiLeaks founder cryptically replied, “No, there’s no finding … I’m suggesting that our sources take risks.”
WikiLeaks recently released a trove of stolen emails from top-level staffers at the Democratic National Committee. The revelations in the emails led to resignations of the chair of the DNC, as well as top staff members.
In the interview, Assange refused to confirm Rich was a source.
“Why make the suggestion about a young guy being shot in the streets of Washington?” the interviewer asked.
“Because we have to understand how high the stakes are in the United States,” the WikiLeaks founder replied. “Our sources face serious risks. That’s why they come to us. So we can protect their anonymity.”
Metropolitan Police Department officials have not yet established a motive in Rich’s death.
Joel Rich, Seth’s father, ruled out robbery in an interview with local affiliate KMTV.
“If it was a robbery, it failed, because he still had his watch, he still had his money, he still had his credit cards, still had his phone, so it was a wasted effort except we lost a life.”