Wikileaks has apparently come out against leaks in a very ironic tweet.
It accused the Obama administration and the CIA of “illegally funneling TOP SECRET information” to NBC “for political reasons” before President Elect Donald Trump could see it.
The tweeted referred to an NBC report earlier on Tuesday that said US intelligence believes Russian officials openly celebrated Trump’s victory, as it investigates alleged hacking ordered by the Kremlin during the presidential election.
The NBC story also alleged “Russian actors” gave stolen material relating to Hillary Clinton’s campaign to Wikileaks.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has previously had to deny the organisation is pro-Trump, after it leaked the emails of Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta in the run-up to polling day.
The gradual release of these damaging emails was among the factors contributing to Clinton’s defeat, according to one commentator.
Reacting to NBC’s story, Trump tweeted to ask: “Who gave them this report and why?”
He concluded: “Politics!”
He later said he was so irked he would ask Congress to investigate.
Wikileaks’ tweet condemning leaks was quickly mocked, given the organisation that leaks things is traditionally thought to be pro leaking things.
One Tweeter was sternly rebuked by “Wikileaks Task Force”, which says it exists to “correct misinformation about Wikileaks”.
The leak to NBC was not a leak, the Task Force said, because it was “clearly authorised by the executive and anonymity used to provide political and legal cover”.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a “leak” as “an intentional disclosure of secret information”.
But when the tweeter pointed this out, he was rebuked again.
So there.