The new Department of Justice program is designed to raise awareness and prosecution of companies that work to rig government contracting in their own favor.
The arrest is likely to trigger a debate over press freedom and call attention to unresolved questions about Assange's role in the release of stolen Democratic emails leading up to the 2016 presidential election, part of special counsel Robert Mueller's recently concluded investigation.
Republicans called for Rep. Adam Schiff's, D-Calif., resignation as chair of the Intelligence Committee over his comments about significant evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.