Justice Dept. sues for proceeds from Edward Snowden's book
The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking the proceeds from Edward Snowdens book, alleging the ex-NSA contractor violated nondisclosure agreements he signed with the government by publishing the manuscript without seeking the required approval.
In a news release, the Justice Department noted it was not seeking to stop or restrict the publication or distribution of the book, titled Permanent Record, but rather to recover all proceeds earned by Snowden because of his failure to submit his publication for pre-publication review in violation of his alleged contractual and fiduciary obligations.
Intelligence information should protect our nation, not provide personal profit, G. Zachary Terwilliger, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement announcing the suit. This lawsuit will ensure that Edward Snowden receives no monetary benefits from breaching the trust placed in him.
Snowden, a former CIA employee and National Security Agency contractor who leaked a trove of documents detailing top-secret U.S. surveillance programs, is abroad in Russia. He is charged in the United States with espionage and recently told CBS News he would like to return but only if he would be allowed to defend himself at trial by asserting his actions were in the public interest. That type of defense is not allowed under U.S. law.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-sues-for-proceeds-from-edward-snowdens-book/2019/09/17/8f08356e-d96e-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html?wpisrc=al_news__alert-national&wpmk=1