WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says that if Army Pfc. Bradley Manning wants to seek a presidential pardon, he must apply for clemency and his request “will be considered in that process like any other application.”
Manning was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for releasing secret documents to WikiLeaks. Manning was found guilty last month of 20 crimes, including six violations of the Espionage Act.
Amnesty International and the Bradley Manning Support Network have announced an online petition asking President Barack Obama to pardon Manning.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there was a process for pardons. “I’m not going to get ahead of that process,” Earnest said.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
