A Letter from Holly Sterling (partner of
CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling)

ByHolly Sterling, Roots Action, 6 July 2015

First, I want to express my deep appreciation to you for signing the petition that urged the government to drop charges against my husband Jeffrey.

"As a whistleblower, former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling went through channels to inform staffers of the Senate Intelligence Committee about the ill-conceived and dangerous CIA action known as Operation Merlin," the petition said.

Unfortunately, the government went ahead with its prosecution. After a trial with huge flaws (see background links below), the jury convicted Jeffrey. Last month, he began serving a three-and-a-half year prison sentence.

I can’t tell you how awful it is now to be separated from Jeffrey in this way. The Bureau of Prisons chose to assign him to a penitentiary in Colorado, almost 900 miles from our longtime home in the St. Louis area.

Now that Jeffrey is in prison, it’s extremely important that the government not succeed in isolating him. You can help!

*  You could lift Jeffrey’s spirits by sending him a letter or postcard. (That’s the only contents of mail that the prison system will allow.) Please be positive and avoid any negative statements about the government or any individuals, since inclusion of such comments could cause problems for Jeffrey with authorities.

Here’s his postal address: Jeffrey Sterling, 38338-044, FCI Englewood, Federal Correctional Institution, 9595 West Quincy Ave., Littleton, CO 80123.

*  You can help cover the plane tickets and other travel expenses that I can’t afford, so I would be able to visit Jeffrey as much as possible.

To do that by contributing to the Sterling Family Fund, please click here.

As our Family Fund has noted, “Unfortunately for Jeffrey, he became the government’s primary target because he had the audacity to do two things.”

Jeffrey "went through appropriate legal channels to address his concerns about a covert CIA operation." And also: "He filed a [racial] discrimination lawsuit against the CIA in August of 2001 (two months later he was fired) which was coincidentally thrown out because proof would require release of classified information."

With Jeffrey in prison, we're down but not out. You can help us gain strength if you donate any amount to the Sterling Family Fund.

Your expressions of caring and support have already made an enormous difference to Jeffrey and me. Thank you for everything!

With appreciation and hope,
Holly Sterling

Background:
ExposeFacts: Reporting on the Jeffrey Sterling trial
Documentary film: “The Invisible Man: NSA Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling”
The Intercept: “How Jeffrey Sterling Took on the CIA and Lost Everything”
The Nation: “CIA Officer Jeffrey Sterling Sentenced to Prison: The Latest Blow in the Government’s War on Journalism”
FireDogLake: “Bureau of Prisons Puts CIA Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling in Prison Around 900 Miles from His Wife and Family”
Sterling Family Fund: Our efforts together