
DNC staffer, Seth Rich, in his DNC profile picture. (LinkedIn/Seth Rich)
WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange gave an interview to Dutch television in which he discussed the Seth Rich murder case in Washington D.C. and would not confirm or deny whether Rich was a WikiLeaks’ source.
However, WikiLeaks, as a matter of practice, does not confirm or deny its sources. The comments made by Assange – coming shortly before WikiLeaks announced a $20,000 reward in the Rich case – are drawing new attention to the homicide of the young DNC analyst.
Rich, a data analyst with the Democratic National Committee, was gunned down in an unsolved murder case in early July. Conspiracy theorists have claimed – without any evidence to back it up – that Rich might have been the source of DNC emails published by WikiLeaks; U.S. officials and some data experts have said Russian intelligence might be behind the hack. A hacktivist named “Guccifer 2.0” has also claimed responsibility for the DNC hack.
Some are interpreting the interview Assange gave with NOS, a major public broadcast company in the Netherlands, as admitting that Rich was a WikiLeaks’ source. However, what Assange actually said is more nuanced and open to interpretation. Shortly after the interview, WikiLeaks announced that it was offering a $20,000 for information leading to a conviction in the Rich case.
Rich’s family, through a spokesman, released a statement after Assange’s remarks and the reward and asked the public to stop spreading “unproven” and “harmful” theories about Rich’s death, said Business Insider. The statement also asked people to stop politicizing the tragedy.

A screenshot of Julian Assange speaking to NOS.
What did Assange really say? You can see the videotaped interview, which was conducted in English on Aug. 8, here (the Rich comments are in the second video posted with the story):
This is a full transcript of that portion of the interview:
Assange: “Whistleblowers go to significant efforts to get us material, often very significant risks. There’s a 27-year-old that works for the DNC who was shot in the back, murdered, just two weeks ago, for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington. So…”
Anchor: “That was just a robbery, I believe, wasn’t it?”
Assange: “No, there’s no finding. So, ah – “
Anchor: “What are you suggesting? What are you suggesting?”
Assange: “I am suggesting that our sources, ah, take risks and they, they become concerned to see things occurring like that.”
Anchor: “But was he one of your sources then, I mean?”
Assange: “We don’t comment on who our sources are.”
Anchor: “But why make the suggestion about a young guy being shot in the streets of Washington?”
Assange: “Because we have to understand how high the stakes are in the United States. Our sources, ah, our sources face serious risks, that’s why they come to us so we can protect, ah, their anonymity.”
Anchor: “But it’s quite something to suggest a murder. That’s basically what you are doing.”
Assange: “Well, others have suggested that. We investigated to understand what happened in that situation, with Seth Rich. I think it is a concerning situation. There is not a conclusion yet. We wouldn’t be willing to say a conclusion yet, but we are concerned about it. More importantly, a variety of WikiLeaks sources are concerned when that kind of thing happens.”
WikiLeaks later put out a statement clarifying its position on Rich:
The reward from WikiLeaks was on top of a previous reward already announced in the Rich case:
Conspiracy theorists are also raising questions about the August death of Shawn Lucas, who served the DNC with a fraud lawsuit and was found dead in his bathroom of unknown causes just over a month later.
Seth Rich: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Seth Rich was a DNC data analyst who was murdered in Washington D.C. Conspiracy theories are raging. What really happened to him?
Click here to read moreShawn Lucas: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Conspiracy theories have grown around the sudden August death of Shawn Lucas, who helped serve the Democratic National Committee with a fraud lawsuit.
Click here to read moreREAD: WikiLeaks Releases Thousands of DNC Emails, Calls, Documents
WikiLeaks says it has released about 20,000 internal Democratic National Committee documents it says involve prominent figures like Hillary Clinton, Chuck Todd, and Bernie Sanders. Read.
Click here to read moreGuccifer 2.0: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Who is Guccifer 2.0, the 'hacktivist' who may be behind the WikiLeaks' Democratic National Committee email dump? Or is he really the Russians?
Click here to read more




Stop with the “conspiracy theorist ” nonsense. Some people are open to all possibilities and are willing to ask the questions that investigative journalists ought to be asking.
then how about a nice cup of good ol’speculative theory…
this is precisely why nobody tries to really defy the queen of the status quo & co, sadly…
he obv was assange’s informant too, because nobody offers a 20k reward on info over someone that has not been covertly murderer as part of your agenda; even when he doesn’t admit it explicitly. but the main point is that rich’s sacrifice was in the end for nothing. the crooked police ‘investigates’ forever, only to eventually bury the case as it is. he barely got the leftmedia to cover the scandal, and when it was, ppl diz it as non significant. no-one really cared enough about it to see pass the system’s official explanation given. although it obv had to do with the way it was portrayed also. in any case, independent voters weren’t swayed en masse, and obv hardcore hellary supporters remain undeterred. and to make matters worse, donald trump is constantly being shown as the worse alt over fabricated menial stuff. so unless she’s proven directly guilty of a serious crime, they’ll never believe her farce. she lit&fig gets away with this murder, and the ones of shawn lucas, victor thorn, john ashe, etc, etc, etc. i mean, how many more ppl have to die for ppl to finally get it…
youtube.com/watch?v=r7e6gLht6OQ
Why would an otherwise healthy 38 year old man suddenly drop dead in his Bathroom ? A man who is trying to expose corruption in the Democratic Party? This, combined with the Seth Richard murder, is very troubling
There is a similarity between Seth Rich’s murder and killing of Clinton White House intern at a D.C Starbucks in 1997 just 6 months before the Monica Lewinsky scandal went public. I wonder if any connection between the latter and the female intern death. I suggest that D.C. detectives interview Lewinsky.
Does anyone think it seems odd that Seth Rich’s family has requested that the public stop spreading “unproven” and “harmful” theories his death? – He was shot in the back! Why wouldn’t they want to know what happened? Sounds like Hillary’s gorillas got to them too.
Everyone needs to watch the documentaries on the Jonestown Massacre (Jim Jones). The Clinton Cult is becoming more like the Peoples Temple; only the Clinton’s have more than 900 followers – which makes her far more dangerous. Like Jones, she has many people around her that protect, excuse and cover-up her corrupt deeds. They all believe she cares about people and is leading us to better days. I don’t love Trump – but anyone who votes for her will help lead us to commit revolutionary suicide. If she wins, she will destroy us. She is the reincarnation of Jim Jones and Hitler.
Does it occur to anyone that Putin has much more experience killing people Assange offering a reward throw the suspicion off of him or Russia. Follow the money there are millions to be made if Russia can get the same chance lifted off them