I would indicate to Mr. Assange, publicly if necessary, that the United States does not intend to pursue prosecution for acts committed that did not directly jeopardize national security. Sure, he helped with the election. But if he has endangered the lives of U.S. operatives, well....
Maybe we could give him a sweet plea bargain.
As to Manning, no pardon, no excuse. The retread can rot.
And Snowden can live comfortably on Putin’s dime. As part of the rapproachment with Putin, the deal should be we give him Soros, and he lets his best hockey players stay in the NHL. It’s a fair deal.
I agree, Manning should rot. Snowden will need to do at least some time in a minimum security facility. Assange would not have to do time, but his organization would need to respect our legitimate security needs. The far left position that there is no such thing as a national security secret isn’t going to fly.