New data from the German Foundation which processed WikiLeaks invoices shows that that document leaking site its spending has grown because trying to professionalize their activities by the salaries - first and foremost to founders Julian Assange - and the organization is potential legal problems.
Associated press a supporter of the WikiLeaks founders Julian Assange holds a poster with his photo during a protest against the Sweden Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, January 22.At the same time the Germany-Wau Holland says Foundation has collected about € 1 million ($ 1.3 million) in donations in 2010, the year in the WikiLeaks in public tab exploded thanks its release of thousands of U.S. classified information. WikiLeaks said in August that it had raised €765,000 up to this point in the year around. Beat the data from the Foundation, which is a great, but not the sole conduit for the financing of the site, donate to WikiLeaks off some have tampered with since landed the organization in the headlines.
Wau Holland Foundation provides important back-office services for WikiLeaks operations by collecting donations and pay your bills. Last summer, WikiLeaks said it to about 150,000 € annually operated.
Now, says the Foundation, however, it approximately €380,000 in WikiLeaks expenses, with some accounts for the year still poison has paid. Some is the total for hardware, Internet access and travel Wau Holland said spokesman Hendrik Fulda. But an important factor in the jump is a recent decision to pay salaries to get personal.
The primary beneficiary of this decision - which has within WikiLeaks hotly discussed - is Mr Assange, controversial founder and public face of the WikiLeaks that currently under house arrest in the UK, where he faces possible delivery after Sweden to face allegations of sexual misconduct.
So far, Wau Holland Stiftung - 2003, the legacy of the late computer hacker Wau Holland honor founded - has more than €, Mr. Assange, Mr. said 100,000 € in salaries for 2010, including over 66,000 euros Fulda paid.
Mr Fulda says the WikiLeaks decision to compensate its employees - rather than relying on volunteers - ending almost a year of internal debate. To professionalize its activities, WikiLeaks pays key personnel now based on a salary structure developed by the environmental activists organization Greenpeace. Head of Greenpeace € monthly salary about 5,500 euros are paid under the tree, said Mr Fulda.
Retroactively until January 2010 be paid Mr Fulda said salaries. So far, six WikiLeaks employees invoices compensation, at least one account for only a month work, including request filed, said Mr Fulda. Other former employees file for compensation is expected in the coming weeks, he said.
Manfred Redelefs, head of Department at Greenpeace Germany, refused an opinion on the specific pay structure of the WikiLeaks but said "Every organization is free to use the Greenpeace pay structure as your model."
An other WikiLeaks Assembly costs related to legal work. Lawyers, on behalf of the WikiLeaks have the document leaking Organization for about €30,000 euros in services invoice. Going forward, could be much greater cost to the Organization, are especially since several width studies during the WikiLeaks' release of classified information, has launched the United States has angered the U.S. Government.
But none said the funds collected by the Wau Holland Foundation go to pay Mr Fulda for disputes relating to defend against possible criminal charges in Sweden.
WikiLeaks recently established the Julian Assange Defense Fund donations for Mr Assange's legal battles, including his effort to resist extradition Sweden, to collect a survey of sexual assault allegations. WikiLeaks' Twitter account recently published a link to the Fund termsheet that says, it can be used, to cover costs "costs for the receipt of legal advice and legal services for [Mr Assange] deals with the delivery, release of arrest, deposit or surety/security...the" and "Ordered will make payments for any meal to all opposing party."
On the front of fundraising said Mr Assange in August WikiLeaks had raised about $1 million (€763,000) since early 2010. He said the group got about half of its money from modest donations via his Web site, and the rest of "personal contacts," including of wealthy donors, giving tens of thousands of dollars.
Much of this money was donated the WikiLeaks account with Wau Holland Foundation said Mr Fulda. EBay Inc.'s online payment service PayPal processed stopped many of these WikiLeaks donations via Wau Holland, but this month mean that WikiLeaks PayPal had violated guidelines, which encourage "Activities." prohibit to promote, facilitate or instruct, other illegal activity previously terminated Inc. MasterCard, Visa Inc. and Bank of America Corp. also recently processing donations to WikiLeaks.
Send still on your site WikiLeaks says donors can make money a WikiLeaks Wau Holland account at Commerzbank Kassel in Germany or on an account with Iceland Landsbanki that accepts donations to WikiLeaks.
Mr Fulda says at a steady pace despite the cancellation of banking services through PayPal donations have continued. Wau Holland plans to publish an accounting of processing donations on behalf of the WikiLeaks, said Mr Fulda. The report details of the banks will include fees from PayPal for its handling of WikiLeaks donations, said Mr Fulda.
Mr Fulda says WikiLeaks asked to determine whether it created for the U.S. army could help intelligence analyst PFC. Bradley manning a legal defense fund Wau Holland Stiftung. Military prosecutors say Mr Manning, who court martial at a military base in Quantico, Virginia, illegally downloaded and distributed waiting for government documents. If you condemn he could a 52-year prison sentence face. The Foundation waiting his attorneys advising whether the donation would be legal under German law, said Mr Fulda.
A spokesperson for the Foundation agency said supervision Wau Holland Stiftung must make an initial decision on whether he is authorized to Mr Manning's Defense Fund to support. "If necessary, we the later would review decision", said the spokesperson.
Write toDavid Crawford at the david.crawford@wsj.com and Jeanne Whalen on the jeanne.whalen@wsj.com
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