> But did he break any laws with regard to this specific leak?
According to the DOJ Indictment yes. He conspired with Manning to obtain access to a classified system. That's different than say Glenn Greenwald merely accepting Snowden's documents.
It's worth noting that Manning already had access to the classified system. Assange conspired to help her hide her usage of that access, something Greenwald has called the duty of a journalist. The law itself would violate the First amendment, so he would not have broken anything.
According to the DOJ Indictment yes. He conspired with Manning to obtain access to a classified system. That's different than say Glenn Greenwald merely accepting Snowden's documents.