Former CIA official Jeffrey Sterling was sentenced on Monday to three and a half years in prison following his conviction for leaking classified information to a New York Times reporter. Federal prosecutors sought a much harsher penalty, noting that sentencing guidelines call for prison term of up to 24 years.
In January, the 47-year-old Sterling was convicted under the Espionage Act of leaking details about a clandestine plan to undermine Iran's nuclear program. The Justice Department for years threatened the reporter, James Risen, with jail time should he refuse to disclose his source, but announced earlier this year it would not call him to testify after all.
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