Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R., Calif.) stated that the Pentagon’s finding that Edward Snowden’s leaks endangered troops and assisted terrorists confirms that Snowden "was no whistleblower, but a spy and a traitor."
In reaction to the Pentagon report, McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following in a statement.
A whistleblower intends to protect the safety and integrity of his co-workers. According to Department of Defense revelations, Mr. Snowden’s disclosures did precisely the opposite. They put his fellow citizens, including troops deployed in harm’s way, at great risk.
A whistleblower selectively reports on information that is relevant, and doesn’t reveal information that is irrelevant. One wonders what the details of military operations and capabilities have to do with alleged constitutional concerns. […]
A whistleblower contacts the authorities to stop illegal or unsafe conduct, only after unsuccessfully raising those concerns through his chain of command. One wonders what jurisdiction the media, and the Russian and Chinese governments have over the defense of the United States.
The Pentagon’s findings confirm what we already knew. That Mr. Snowden was no whistleblower, but a spy and a traitor. He put his personal politics and ambitions over the safety and well-being of his fellow citizens. It is my sincere hope that, when history sorts this out, he shares the same infamy and same facility as Aldrich Ames, John Anthony Walker, and Robert Hanssen.