Edward Snowden's Permanent Record
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil lawsuit against Edward Snowden after he published a book, on top of the criminal charges already filed against him.
Snowden's book, Permanent Record, was released on Tuesday, 17 September. The lawsuit was filed on the same day.
According to the suit, Permanent Record violates the non-disclosure agreements he signed with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA). The DOJ also claims that Snowden wrote and published the book without submitting the material for review to the agencies prior to its publication. The lawsuit cited that Snowden also violated the non-disclosure agreement by giving public speeches about intelligence issues. The companies involved in the book's publication were also named in the suit.
The DOJ claimed that as a result of the violations, the suit should allow it to "recover all proceeds earned by Snowden," preventing Snowden from financially gaining from disclosing unauthorized information, but the suit will not stop the book's publication or distribution.
"Edward Snowden has violated an obligation he undertook to the United States when he signed agreements as part of his employment by the CIA and as an NSA contractor," Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the DOJ's Civil Division said in a press release.
Snowden is also facing criminal charges levied by the U.S. government, including theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act.
