MARCY WHEELER, emptywheel[at]gmail.com, @emptywheel

Wheeler writes widely about the legal aspects of the “war on terror” and its effects on civil liberties. She blogs at emptywheel.net.

She just co-wrote the piece “Exclusive: Snowden Tried to Tell NSA About Surveillance Concerns, Documents Reveal.”

Wheeler said today: “Emails released to VICE News reveal that multiple Edward Snowden colleagues reported discussions about privacy or the Constitution — but NSA deemed those conversations not to rise to raising concerns. The emails also reveal NSA’s previous story, that Snowden had submitted and received a response to a simple question from NSA’s General Counsel, was actually not quite that simple. In fact, a senior NSA official apologized to NSA’s Director Admiral Mike Rogers because he did not provide necessary context. But when we tried to answer questions about that context, such as why NSA was just writing up its version of an additional Snowden context after Snowden raised it, we got no response. It’s unclear precisely what concerns Snowden raised with the agency, but it’s clear there’s more there than the agency previously admitted.”

Background:

Hugh Hewitt: “Edward Snowden, hero or traitor?”
Donald Trump: “Oh, I say total traitor. I think he’s disgusting and I think he’s a traitor and I think it is amazing that Russia is keeping him and it just shows that the stand that the Russia has for Obama. I say total traitor.” (Aug. 3, 2015)

Hillary Clinton : “He broke the laws of the United States. He could have been a whistleblower. He could have gotten all of the protections of being a whistleblower. He could have raised all the issues that he has raised. And I think there would have been a positive response to that.” (Oct. 13, 2015) See also: “‘Putting the Lie’ to Clinton and Obama’s Deceit on Snowden“