Edward Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, which was designed for spies selling secrets to foreign governments. The Act provides no mechanism for a 'public interest' defense — meaning at trial, Snowden would be legally prohibited from explaining why he leaked or arguing that revealing illegal mass surveillance served the public. The programs he exposed were later ruled unconstitutional by federal courts, and Congress passed the USA FREEDOM Act reforming NSA surveillance. Despite this vindication, Snowden remains in exile in Russia.
Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act which offers no 'public interest' defense — he would be prohibited from explaining why he leaked
“I would return to the US if I could get a fair trial. But the Espionage Act doesn't allow me to tell the jury why I did it. The law treats me as if I sold secrets to Russia.”
📄 The Receipts
⚖️ The Record, Side by Side
What they said vs. what the evidence shows
⏳ The Vindication Timeline
From “crazy” to confirmed
The Claim Is Made
This is the moment they called it crazy.
📊 How Right We Were
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