Judge rules Snowden book profits go to US government

Published December 18, 2019 1:43am ET



A federal judge ruled that famous leaker Edward Snowden broke his nondisclosure agreements when he didn’t submit the manuscript of his new book for review, ordering the proceeds to be turned over to the United States government.

Judge Liam O’Grady’s 14-page ruling Tuesday was a win for the Justice Department, which sued Snowden over the book, Permanent Record. The DOJ also said the book publisher, Macmillan Publishing Group, should aid in recovering the money. Federal prosecutors also accused Snowden of displaying information marked as top secret at public events, including a TED conference, an internet security trade fair, and university lectures. The government wanted Snowden’s profits, which they considered ill-gotten gains in breach of contract, to be turned over to the U.S., and the judge agreed.

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