After reports that a potential plea deal for Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was being worked through, his lawyers spoke up yesterday – they say they’ve received no official offer from US prosecutors. It all kicked off when US media reported that the US Justice Department was considering allowing Assange to plead guilty to mishandling classified information – which is a misdemeanour – rather than the more serious criminal espionage/hacking charges he’s facing. This is over his publishing of classified US military files about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in 2010-2011. Reports say the plea deal negotiations “remain in flux and the talks could fizzle” but if his charges are downgraded, Assange could potentially walk free. If not, he’s facing extradition to the US from London – something he’s fighting in the UK High Court – and could be sentenced to up to 175 years in jail.