Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday called for a deal that would allow Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the CIA who leaked secret information from the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs, to return to the U.S. with some guarantee of leniency.
In an article published by the Guardian, the former Democratic presidential candidate admitted he believes Snowden committed a crime, but said that his actions provided the American people an opportunity to see how the NSA had “abused” its authority and violated American citizens’ constitutional rights.
“Now we must learn from the troubling revelations Mr Snowden brought to light. Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies must be given the tools they need to protect us, but that can be done in a way that does not sacrifice our rights,” Sanders wrote.
“While Mr Snowden played an important role in educating the American people, there is no debate that he also violated an oath and committed a crime,” Sanders added.
While he did not go as far as to suggest a full pardon, Sanders did say that in his view, “the interests of justice would be best served if our government granted him some form of clemency or a plea agreement that would spare him a long prison sentence or permanent exile.”
Sanders’ note Wednesday is relatively consistent with his remarks on Snowden during a presidential debate last year, when he said Snowden should face a penalty, but added the lessons learned from Snowden’s leak should be taken into consideration before the sentencing.
Sanders’ brief memo appeared in an article along with those written by 20 other public figures, some of whom praised Snowden for performing what they say was a public service and urged the U.S. government to allow him to return home from his exile in Russia that began in 2013. These writers included Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the “Pentagon Papers” in 1971 and actress Susan Sarandon, both of whom are open to a full pardon for Snowden.
Others, like former NSA Director Michael Hayden, were more critical of the whistleblower. Though Hayden said Snowden returning to the U.S. is the former contractor’s choice, he said President Obama should not give Snowden a pardon. “If he wants to come home, and that’s his choice, I think he should face the full force of the law,” Hayden wrote.
The article was published on the same day Snowden made a case in New York City, via live video feed, for a presidential pardon, though he did not specifically ask for one. Also this week, in the run-up to the release of “Snowden,” an Oliver Stone movie based on the NSA whistleblower, a number of civil liberties organizations announced an online petition dedicated to convincing Obama to give Snowden a presidential pardon.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday that the president’s basic take on Snowden — that he should return to the U.S. to face charges for his actions — has not changed.
