Filmmaker Michael Moore Posts $20K Bail for WikiLeaks Founder Assange
Filmmaker Michael Moore contributed $20,000 of his own money to help bail WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange out of a London jail where he is being held on Swedish sex crimes charges.
Moore is among several “luvvies, lefties and ‘internationally renowned’ backers” helping post bail for Assange, the Daily Mail reports. The financial supporters also include a Nobel Prize winner and human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger.
Bail has been set at 240,000 British pounds, or almost $380,000 in U.S. dollars. Assange’s release has been delayed, however, while prosecutors appeal the bail decision.
Moore explained why he’s posting bail on his website MichaelMoore.com. He writes that WikiLeaks has “outed and embarrassed those who have covered up the truth” and it “deserves our thanks.” In his view, the Iraq war could have been avoided if a WikiLeaks had been around to expose war plans, and flight school instructors training 9/11 conspirators might have reported their suspicions if they knew of a secret document detailing al-Qaida plans to strike the United States.
Moore sees a possible link between the sex-crimes prosecutions and the condemnation of WikiLeaks. “For those of you who think it’s wrong to support Julian Assange because of the sexual assault allegations he’s being held for, all I ask is that you not be naive about how the government works when it decides to go after its prey,” he writes.
