The U.S. Army soldier at the center of an investigation regarding the release of classified and secret information to the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks is gay, according to the Windy City Times.
Private First Class Bradley Manning, a former defense analyst, is accused of transferring more than 250,000 diplomatic documents and a video showing a U.S. helicopter crew attacking and killing two Iraqi children and two Reuters employees known as “Collateral Murder” to WikiLeaks.
According to the article, Manning was frustrated with his career and personal life, which led to his decision to leak the classified information. The administration, as well as the State Department, have condemned the leaks.
Manning was able to remove the information from his work computer by burning the files onto a blank DVD while pretending to listen to Lady Gaga, according to multiple media reports.
Manning is currently facing 52 years in prison for “transferring classified data onto his personal computer and adding unauthorized software to a classified computer system” and “communicating, transmitting and delivering national defense information to an unauthorized source,” according to media reports.