If he felt his actions were consistent with civil disobedience, then he should do what those who have taken issue with their own government do: Challenge it, speak out, engage in a constructive act of protest, and — importantly — accept the consequences of his actions. He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers — not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime.
— Lisa Monaco, President Obama s advisor on homeland security and counterterrorism, in response to a petition seeking the pardon of Edward Snowden, who s wanted by the U.S. government and is living in asylum in Russia.
The online White House petition, which has more than 167,000 signatures, calls Snowden a national hero [who] should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs.
The administration response is in line with other government officials stated stance on Snowden, who a couple of years ago leaked documents he stole from the NSA. Although former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said earlier this month he thought that a deal was possible, a spokeswoman for current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the administration s position had not changed.
The documents taken by Snowden revealed mass government spying that among other things showed how the National Security Agency tracked Americans by using information held by tech companies and telecom providers. The documents also showed that the U.S. spied on world leaders and allies.
The leaks have caused loss of trust and lost business, a couple of consequences that are sometimes cited by those who call Snowden a traitor.
But Snowden s supporters point to the changes the leaks sparked, such as legislative and judicial action. For example, a federal appeals court found one of the NSA spying programs — the mass collection of phone records — illegal. In addition, some Silicon Valley companies have taken steps to try to keep user data from prying eyes — which privacy advocates cheer but which government officials say hinders the nation s counterterrorism efforts.
Photo: Edward Snowden talks during a simulcast conversation during the SXSW Interactive Festival on March 10, 2014, in Austin, Texas. Snowden talked with American Civil Liberties Union principal technologist Christopher Soghoian, and answered tweeted questions. (Jack Plunkett/Invision/Associated Press)
