When Harvard hired spy Chelsea Manning, this former CIA Director took a stand

Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell took a stand against Harvard University on Thursday, resigning from his senior fellow position in protest of the school's hiring of convicted spy Chelsea Manning.

The letter

Here's the letter Morell wrote to Harvard to submit his resignation. Some notable quotes:

• "Unfortunately, I cannot be part of an organization -- the Kennedy School -- that honors a convicted felon and leaker of classified information, Ms. Chelsea Manning, by inviting her to be a Visiting Fellow at the Kennedy School's Institute of Politics."
• "Senior leaders in our military have stated publicly that the leaks by Ms. Manning put the lives of US soldiers at risk."
• "...the Kennedy School's decision will assist Ms. Manning in her long-standing effort to legitimize the criminal path that she took to prominence, an attempt that may encourage others to leak classified information as well."
• "...it is my right, indeed my duty, to argue that the School's decision is wholly inappropriate and to protest it by resigning from the Kennedy School -- in order to make the fundamental point that leaking classified information is disgraceful and damaging to our nation."

About Chelsea Manning

• Manning, a former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst and a transgender woman formerly known as Bradley Manning, was convicted of espionage and theft in 2010 for leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks.
• Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her crimes, before former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence right before he left office in January.
• Harvard announced Manning as a visiting fellow Wednesday, along with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.