The latest True Crime / Broadway crossover podcast from Broadway Podcast Network: THIS IS REALITY. A completely true story, still unfolding. How and why did a 25-year-old with a Pikachu bedspread become the #1 terrorist in the United States?.. Read More
From the show: The Ensemblist
About
The latest True Crime / Broadway crossover podcast from Broadway Podcast Network: THIS IS REALITY. A completely true story, still unfolding.
How and why did a 25-year-old with a Pikachu bedspread become the #1 terrorist in the United States? In 2017, REALITY WINNER, a highly decorated former Air Force linguist was charged with leaking proof of Russian interference in the 2016 election to the media. Her goal – to help protect Democracy. Reality received the longest sentence ever imposed for unauthorized release of government information - five-years, three-months – for her patriotic efforts. THIS IS REALITY captures the unfolding events of the interrogation, the trial, the imprisonment and the current efforts to pursue clemency with those that were 'in the room' where it all happened.
Produced by Dori Berinstein, Sally Horchow, and Rebecca Aparicio.
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
Visit bpn.fm/ThisIsReality for more info and tickets to the show.
Transcript
This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.
[0:00] Dori Berenstein: On June 3rd, 2017, FBI interrogators surprised Air Force linguist Reality Lee Winner at her home in Augusta, Georgia, accusing her of leaking classified information, proving Russian interference in the 2016 election.
[0:25] Sally Horchow: Tonight, this unassuming-looking 25-year-old is behind bars in Georgia, the main suspect in a federal leak investigation that the Department of Justice calls a threat to national security.
[0:35] Dori Berenstein: Reality Lee Winner, an Air Force veteran who worked as a government contractor, is accused of removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet.
[0:44] Sally Horchow: The text of that FBI interrogation is now the Broadway play, Is This a Room?, conceived by director Tina Satter.
[0:52] Dori Berenstein: In this series, we take you beyond the headlines, inside the story of Reality Winner, a decorated Air Force veteran, to uncover how a 25-year-old with a Pikachu bedspread became the world's number one terrorist.
[1:05] Dori Berenstein: I'm Dori Berenstein.
[1:07] Sally Horchow: And I'm Sally Horchow, and we are the producers of Is This a Room? on Broadway.
[1:12] Dori Berenstein: This is Reality.
[1:19] Sally Horchow: On June 3, 2017, 11 FBI agents appeared at the home of Reality Winner, a 25-year-old Air Force linguist, to interrogate her about leaking a classified document proving Russian interference in the 2016 election.
[1:36] Dori Berenstein: Reality was found guilty and was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, the longest sentence ever for leaking government information to the media.
[1:46] Sally Horchow: Is This a Room?, the critically acclaimed play, which Jesse Green from The New York Times calls one of the thrillingest thrillers ever to hit Broadway, reenacts the verbatim transcript of Reality Winner's actual FBI interrogation.
[2:01] Dori Berenstein: When we started the journey of bringing Is This a Room? to Broadway, we realized there was so much the public didn't know about Reality's story.
[2:09] Sally Horchow: When Reality was arrested for leaking this document, the press coverage was scarce. In fact, the late-night talk shows only covered it to make fun of her name.
[2:18] Dori Berenstein: The leaker's name, and this is true, Reality Winner.
[2:24] Sally Horchow: So it's official. The Trump administration is at war with reality.
[2:30] Dori Berenstein: Reality Lee Winner was a highly decorated Air Force veteran who taught yoga, loved CrossFit, and rescued animals.
[2:37] Sally Horchow: She had no previous record and was not politically active before leaking the document.
[2:42] Dori Berenstein: So how did a 25-year-old with a Pikachu bedspread become the world's number one terrorist?
[2:48] Sally Horchow: Please join us for our next episode of This Is Reality by following and finding out more information on bpn.fm slash thisisreality.
[3:12] Dori Berenstein: This is reality.
[3:13] Dori Berenstein: This is America.
[3:14] Dori Berenstein: This is America.
[3:15] Dori Berenstein: This is America.
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