WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is writing an autobiography that he expects to fetch $1.3 million — funds he will use to fuel his legal defense.
“I don’t want to write this book, but I have to,” Assange told the Sunday Times. “I have already spent 200,000 pounds [$307,408] for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat.”
The Wall Street Journal reported:
Random House, a unit of Germany’s Bertelsmann AG, expects the manuscript to be delivered at some point in 2011 but doesn’t yet have a timetable for publication, Paul Bogaards, a spokesman for the U.S. publisher, said Sunday.“We are very excited to be publishing this book,” said Mr. Bogaards, a spokesman. “The work that Assange has been doing at WikiLeaks has tremendous importance around the world.”
Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden, where he has been accused of sexual assault against two women.
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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