A majority of the members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation say that Edward Snowden should not be given clemency.
This week, a New York Times editorial called for clemency and whistleblower status for Snowden, a former government contractor who has leaked detailed information about the National Security Agency’s extensive domestic and international spying.
Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Rep. Joe Courtney, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Jim Himes and Rep. John Larson all say Snowden must face felony charges. (I am still waiting for a response from Rep. John Larson.)
“Edward Snowden should come back to the United States and be held accountable for his actions,” Murphy said in a statement released by his office Friday. “If Snowden truly cared about exposing illegal activity, he should have gone through proper channels using statutory whistleblower protections. Instead, he stole untold amounts of sensitive, classified information, fled to China and Russia, and made these secrets available to countries with adversarial interests toward the United States. Snowden’s revelations have touched off an important debate, but this fact does not absolve him from responsibility for his crimes, especially when he had other avenues through which to raise these issues.”
But U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney suggested that a plea bargain might be a good idea. His spokesperson, Liz Donovan, said:
Congressman Courtney has consistently voted against giving sweeping powers to the NSA—including changes that weakened FISA warrant standards in 2007 and extension of the Patriot Act without reform—for precisely the reasons that the Snowden revelations have highlighted. Congressman Courtney believes in the integrity America’s courts, and given that Mr. Snowden has been charged by federal prosecutors, he should return to the U.S., where he can present an argument for his innocence or mitigating circumstances. Given the unique nature of this case, the Justice Department should make a bona fide attempt to negotiate a balanced path forward, which may include a plea bargain process that could reduce the severity of any punishment.
Congressman Courtney continues to support bipartisan efforts to reform our intelligence programs to increase oversight and accountability, strengthen protections for whistleblowers, and rebalance our security activities with the rights afforded to American citizens under the constitution.
Snowden faces criminal charges under the Espionage Act, but the Times argues that Snowden deserves to come home from his current exile in Russia:
Considering the enormous value of the information he has revealed, and the abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service. It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home, face at least substantially reduced punishment in light of his role as a whistle-blower, and have the hope of a life advocating for greater privacy and far stronger oversight of the runaway intelligence community.
CREDIT : AFP PHOTO / THE GUARDIAN
Here are some comments from the delegation:
Blumenthal: “Edward Snowden has a right to return to the United State to face felony charges that may be judged by a jury of his fellow citizens, or resolved through guilty plea, which could involve some agreement or plea bargain as to appropriate punishment. Although his actions have revealed important information, he should not simply be given clemency, or a pass from prosecution. He should be held accountable for breaking the law, and can be credited in sentencing for the motive and consequences of his actions.
“Most important, differences of opinion as to prosecution of Mr. Snowden should not distract us from the profoundly critical task of reforming the nation’s intelligence programs to make them more accountable and transparent and preserve key Constitutional rights as well as national security. Regardless of how we view Mr. Snowden’s legal culpability, we can all agree that intelligence reform is vital to protecting rights to privacy and civil liberties and American security.”
Esty: “Edward Snowden broke the law. He should face the consequences of his actions. There is an obvious need to reform the NSA in order to strengthen our civil liberties protections. The current national discussion over the proper balance between personal privacy and national security is critically important, but it is not a justification for breaking the law.”
DeLauro: “Many of Edward Snowden’s revelations have played an important role in stirring public debate and pushing Congress to consider legislation that better balances national security and privacy concerns, something I strongly support. Yet, as even the Times piece notes, ‘he may have committed a crime’ and I believe that is something for a jury to decide. I do not support clemency.”
