The White House echoed a long-held position Monday: There will be no amnesty for Edward Snowden.
“Mr. Snowden is accused of leaking classified information and faces felony charges here in the United States,” said Caitlin Hayden, spokesperson for the National Security Council. “He should be returned to the U.S. as soon as possible, where he will be accorded full due process and protections.”
Snowden remains in Russia under political asylum.
The subject of amnesty for Snowden — in exchange for the return of National Security Agency surveillance documents he has in his possession — surfaced during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes.
“During an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday night, Richard Ledgett, who heads an NSA task force handling unauthorized disclosures, said officials should weigh offering amnesty to prevent further disclosures.
“‘My personal view is, yes, it’s worth having a conversation about,’ Ledgett said. ‘I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured, and my bar for those assurances would be very high. It would be more than just an assertion on his part.'”
(Source: USA Today)
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