US authorities debating charges against Assange

U.S. authorities have been engaged in discussions over whether to seek charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, according to a source familiar with the matter. The debate over charges was first reported by the Washington Post.

Officials have been debating whether Wikileaks — the organization which has shared troves of confidential materials, often received via persons sharing it illegally — should be viewed as a journalistic enterprise, as Assange claims, or as a group that illegally aided and abetted the widespread disclosure of sensitive information, reports ABC News.

The matter was previously considered by the administration of President Barack Obama, but charges were never brought.