A taped conversation between the Obama administration and an unexpected partner was leaked to conservative activist James O’Keefe’s “Project Veritas.”

And the content surprised everyone.

According to the tape, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was working with President Barack Obama’s State Department in 2011 regarding an upcoming data release.

But not on behalf of Obama and his team.

“A whistleblower provided this audio to Project Veritas, so that the American people have a more accurate account of Assange and his conduct,” O’Keefe said in a statement. “Political pressure is building for President Donald Trump to pardon Assange at the end of his first term and this tape goes a long way to rebooting how he has been portrayed.”

In the recording, Assange — who initiated the call — warns the U.S. State Department attorney Cliff Johnson that a rogue former Wikileaks employee had stolen 250,000 U.S. diplomatic records from him and intended to release the information.

“Yes, so, the situation is that… we have intelligence that the State Department Database Archive of 250,000 diplomatic cables — including declassified cables — is being spread around. And, it is to the degree that we believe that within the next few days it will become public,” Assange is heard in his warning to Johnson.

“We’re not sure but the timing… it could be imminently or within the next few days to a week and there may be some possibility to stop it,” Assange said.

“Who is releasing these cables? Is this Wikileaks?” Johnson asks.

“No, we would not be releasing them, “Assange responds. “This is Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a previous employee that we suspended last August.”

“And he apparently has access to the material that Wikileaks also has?” Johnson responds.

Assange replied, “Yes, that is correct.”

The documents had been obtained and set to be released by Wikileaks at a later date, but with some sensitive information redacted.

The State Department attorney later thanks Assange for his help for warning the Obama administration about the upcoming leak.

The recording was released in hopes of a pardon for Assange from the Trump administration.

You can see O’Keefe’s report below —

The Horn editorial team