Edward Snowden Charged

◼ Glenn Greenwald questions espionage charge against Edward Snowden - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner @charlesspiering

On MSNBC this evening, journalist Glenn Greenwald questioned the espionage charge filed by the U.S. government against National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The Justice Department unsealed a complaint against Snowden this evening, which revealed that they were charging the former NSA contractor with espionage and theft of government property.

◼ U.S. charges Edward Snowden with espionage in leaks about NSA surveillance programs - Peter Finn and Sari Horwitz/Washington Post

Federal prosecutors have filed a sealed criminal complaint against Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked a trove of documents about top-secret surveillance programs, and the United States has asked Hong Kong to detain him on a provisional arrest warrant, according to U.S. officials.

Snowden was charged with espionage, theft and conversion of government property, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the case....

The leaks have sparked national and international debates about the secret powers of the NSA to infringe on the privacy of Americans and foreigners. Officials from President Obama down have said they welcome the opportunity to explain the importance of the programs and the safeguards they say are built into them. Skeptics, including some in Congress, have said the NSA has assumed the power to soak up data about Americans that was never intended under the law.

◼ NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Charged with Espionage and Other Offenses — Updated: Complaint Added - Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion

UPDATED 6/21/2013 at 8:30pm EST: Initial complaint, now unsealed, added. Remainder of case remains sealed.

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