U.S. sues Snowden over new book

The U.S. sued Edward Snowden Tuesday for violating nondisclosure agreements with the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency by publishing his new book “Permanent Record.”

Snowden, best known as the former intelligence analyst who leaked information about the NSA’s global and domestic surveillance programs, released his book Tuesday.

{mosads}The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District Court of Virginia, does not seek to block the publishing of the book, but instead asks for any profits Snowden makes from it.

“Intelligence information should protect our nation, not provide personal profit,” G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement.

“This lawsuit will ensure that Edward Snowden receives no monetary benefits from breaching the trust placed in him.”

The U.S. claimed Snowden did not submit the book for a prepublication review, a violation of nondisclosure obligations.

Snowden used the lawsuit to promote his book, tweeting that “this is the book the government does not want you to read.”

The government of the United States has just announced a lawsuit over my memoir, which was just released today worldwide. This is the book the government does not want you to read: (link corrected) https://t.co/JS1AJ6QlXg

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 17, 2019

Ben Wizner, an attorney for Snowden and director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, defended the book not being sent in for prepublication review.

“This book contains no government secrets that have not been previously published by respected news organizations. Had Mr. Snowden believed that the government would review his book in good faith, he would have submitted it for review,” he said in a statement. 

“But the government continues to insist that facts that are known and discussed throughout the world are still somehow classified.”

Snowden lives in Russia after fleeing prosecution in the U.S. and faces criminal charges in the U.S. for alleged disclosure of classified information.

Snowden joined both “CBS This Morning” and MSNBC’s Brian Williams for media appearances on Monday to discuss his book. Those were his first interviews with U.S. media since appearing on John Oliver’s HBO show in 2015.