The Law Office of

David E. Coombs
John NtcHugh Secretary of the Army 101 Army Pentagon \Tashington, DC 2031 0-01 01
N,{.

President Barack F{. Obama Through the Pardon Attorney

Department ofJustice Washington, D.C. 20530

Septembet 3,2073

Deat President Obama:

this letter to present Private Btadley Manning's petition fot commutation of his sentence. Pdvate Manning requests that you consider the following documentation when this fequest:

I am wdting

^clrrgupon a) Petition for Commutation of Sentence dated 21, August 2013 b) Guilty Plea Inquiry from unauthenticated record of ttial dated 28 February 2073 c) Letter from Amnesty International dated 23 Augast201.3 d) Testimony of retfued Sergeant First Class Paul Adkins dated 13 August 2013 e) Counseling Statement of Master Sergeant Adkins datedT June 2010 I E-mail ftom Pdvate Manning to Master Sergeant Adkins dated24 Aprl,
201.0

g) Memorandum fot
Decembet 2009
2010

Record written by Master Setgeant Adkins dated21,

Sergeant Adkins dated 26

h) Memorandum fot Recotd written by Master

April

i) Memorandum for Record wdtten by Mastet Sergeant Adkins dated 8 May 201,0 j) Testimony of Captain Michael lTorsley dated 14 August 2013
k) Testimony of Lieutenant Commandet David Moulton
dated 14 August 2013

l)

Redacted Sanity Board Evaluation of Private Manning dated22 Aprn 2011

On21. August 2013,Pivate Manning was sentenced to 35 years in pdson fot giving information to a journalist. The length of Pdvate Manning's sentence is one that we would expect for someone who disclosed information in order to harm the United States or who disclosed information for monetary gain. Private Manning did neithet. Instead, he disclosed information that he believed could spark a meaningfrrl public debate on the costs of war, and specifically on how we value human life.

II SOUTHANGELL

ST.

#317

PRovrDENcE, RI02906

TEL: (508) 689-4616

o FAX: (508) 689-9282

Although the govemment is entided to protect sensitive infotmation, the documents ptotection. Many of the documents teleased by Private Manning were either unclassified or contained information that the public had a right to know. None of the disciosed documents caused any rcal damage to the United States. Instead, these documents simply embattassed our country by revealing misconduct by the Departrnent of Defense and unethical practices by the Department of State.

in this

case did not medt

rely upon whisdeblowers, even in those instances that might cause embarassment, to keep out government accountable to its people. Private Manning is a military whistleblower. He disclosed documents that were vital fot a healthy public debate about our conduct in Iraq and Afghanistan, our detention policies at Guantanamo, and out diplomatic activities around the world. The sentence given to him by the military judge grossly exaggerates the setiousness of his conduct. The sentence was disptoportionate to both the offense and the offender. It will undoubtedly have a chilling effect on future whisdeblowers and damage the public's perception of military justice.
Sevetal civil dghts organszaions have criticized the harsh sentence given to Ptivate Manning. Lisa Goitein, who co-directs the Brennan Center forJustice's Liberty and National Security Program, called the 35 year sefltence "unprecedented" and stated "it is dtamatically longet than the longest senteflce evet served fot disclosing classified information to the media, which was two years." Ben Wiznet, the directot of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Ptoject, said "alegal system that doesn't distinguish between leaks to the press in the public intetest and tteason against the nation will not only produce unjust results, but will deprive the public of critical information that is necessa{y for democratic accountability." Anne FitzGerald, the director of Amnesty Intemational's Reseatch and Crisis Response, said "Bradley Manning should be shown clemency in tecognition of his motives for acting as he did, the treaffnent he endured in his eady pte-trial confinement, and the due process shottcomings during his ftial."

'$7e

Pdvate Manning has already pal.d aheavy pdce for his conduct. He has been held for more than thtee years in military conf,nement. A substantial portion of that confinement was spent in unlawful solitary confinement at Marine Corps Base Quantico. He endured a thtee-year protracted legal process and faced a meritless the enemy offense. I urge "iditg you to consider this mattet closely and to take a positive step towards protecting whistleblowers who telease infotmation to the rnedia fot the public good by eithet teducing Private Manning's sentence to time served, or by granting him a frrll pardon.

I
DAVID
E,.

COOMBS

11

SoUTH ANGELL ST. #3L7

PRovIDENcE, RI 02906

TEL: (508) 689-4616

o FAX: (508) 689-9282