Keith Mack
Edward Snowden is a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator who released confidential government documents to the press in 2013. According to many legal experts and the US government, Snowden's actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identifies the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Despite Snowden's claims that he had a moral obligation to act, the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, stated that Snowden broke the law and caused harm to our national security. This introduction will explore the legal implications of Snowden's actions and the debate surrounding his status as a hero or a criminal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law broken | Espionage Act of 1917 |
| Reason | Leak of state secrets |
| Type of secrets | Government surveillance programs |
| Snowden's rationale | Moral obligation to act |
| Snowden's justification | Duty to inform the public |
| Attorney General's response | Snowden broke the law and caused harm to national security |
| New York Times' response | Snowden may have committed a crime but has done his country a great service |
| Ed Morrissey's response | Snowden is not a hero but a criminal |
| Court's response | Snowden breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA |
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What You'll Learn
Snowden's actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917
Edward Snowden, a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator, released confidential government documents to the press in 2013. The documents revealed the existence of government surveillance programs.
According to many legal experts and the US government, Snowden's actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identifies the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. The Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, stated that Snowden "broke the law" and "caused harm to our national security".
Despite breaking the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He justified his "whistleblowing" by stating that he had a duty to inform the public about what was being done in their name and against them.
In December 2019, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favour of the United States in a suit against Snowden, holding that he had breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA by publishing Permanent Record and giving prepared remarks within the scope of his pre-publication review obligations. The court imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States over the monies, royalties, or other financial advantages derived by Snowden from Permanent Record and 56 specific speeches.
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Snowden broke the law by leaking information
Snowden's actions also breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA. In December 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favour of the United States in a suit against Snowden, and he was ordered to pay over $5.2 million in damages.
Despite breaking the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He justified his "whistleblowing" by stating that he had a duty "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them". Journalists were conflicted about the ethical implications of Snowden's actions. While some argued that he was a criminal who broke the law, others stated that "he may have committed a crime... but he has done his country a great service".
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Snowden breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA
Edward Snowden, a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator, released confidential government documents to the press in 2013. These documents revealed the existence of government surveillance programs.
According to many legal experts, Snowden's actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identifies the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. The US government also believes that Snowden broke the law.
In December 2019, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favour of the United States in a suit against Snowden, holding that he had breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA by publishing Permanent Record and giving prepared remarks within the scope of his pre-publication review obligations. The court imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States over the royalties and other financial advantages derived by Snowden from Permanent Record and 56 specific speeches.
Snowden has argued that he had a moral obligation to act, stating that he had a duty "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them". However, the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, did not find Snowden's rationale convincing, stating that Snowden "broke the law" and "caused harm to our national security".
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Snowden's actions were treasonous
Snowden's actions also breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA. In December 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favour of the United States in a suit against Snowden on the issue of liability. The court entered judgment in the government's favour in an amount exceeding $5.2 million and imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States over those sums and any further monies, royalties, or other financial advantages derived by Snowden from his actions.
Despite the fact that he broke the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He justified his "whistleblowing" by stating that he had a duty "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them". Journalists were conflicted about the ethical implications of Snowden's actions. The editorial board of *The New York Times* stated, "He may have committed a crime... but he has done his country a great service".
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Snowden's actions were criminal
Snowden's actions caused harm to national security. The Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, stated that Snowden "broke the law" and "caused harm to our national security". Holder argued that Snowden had to be held accountable for his actions. Ed Morrissey, an American journalist, also argued that Snowden was not a hero but a criminal. Morrissey stated that Snowden broke a law intended to keep legitimate national security data and assets safe from enemies and to keep Americans safe.
Snowden's actions also had financial implications for the government. In December 2019, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favour of the United States in a suit against Snowden, holding that Snowden breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA by publishing Permanent Record and giving prepared remarks within the scope of his pre-publication review obligations. The court entered judgment in the government's favour in an amount exceeding $5.2 million.
Despite the fact that he broke the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He justified his "whistleblowing" by stating that he had a duty to inform the public about what was being done in their name and against them. Snowden's actions have sparked debate about the ethical implications of leaking confidential information. While some argue that he committed a crime, others believe that he did his country a great service by revealing the existence of government surveillance programs.
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Frequently asked questions
Snowden broke the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason.
Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act, and that he had a duty to inform the public about what was being done in their name.
Snowden was charged with espionage by the U.S. government.
