President Obama Just Commuted Chelsea Manning’s Sentence

Just a few days before President Obama leaves the White House, he’s officially commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, meaning she’ll be freed this year.

There are just a few more days until the inauguration of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. However, that doesn’t mean that President Barack Obama has to give up his power right now. He just proved that this afternoon. The New York Times has reported that President Obama has officially commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning.

According to the Times, she will now be freed from prison in May of this year, as opposed to her original sentence of 35 years. She has been in jail for seven years. Manning was originally convicted for her role in the 2010 WikiLeaks data dump of documents and files like diplomatic cables. (In fact, as the Times notes, Manning helped make WikiLeaks a household name.)

Last year, Manning attempted suicide, and nearly faced additional charges as a result. Just this past week, NBC News reported that her case was on Obama’s “short list” for commutation in his last days in office. That was presumably based on the relative harshness of the sentence. Additionally, Manning has faced ongoing issues in prison as she seeks additional treatment for gender dysphoria. The Times reports that she is currently in Fort Leavenworth, a male prison.

A petition hit the White House last month with over 100,000 signatures asking for Manning’s freedom. Just a few days ago, Edward Snowden, the other most famous whistleblower of the 2010s, also tweeted his support.

The tweet reads: “Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning. You alone can save her life.”

There are just a few days left in Barack Obama’s presidency. It seems likely that he will continue commuting sentences and also doing his best to secure what he can of his legacy.

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According to the Times, Manning will receive her freedom on May 15 of this year.