His actions spurred a necessary debate.
— Eric Holder, former U.S. attorney general, on Edward Snowden. Snowden, the former tech contractor who two years ago leaked U.S. government documents that revealed massive NSA spying on Americans in the name of fighting terrorism, is wanted by the United States and is living in asylum in Russia. In an interview with Yahoo News, Holder said Monday that he thought the possibility exists for a plea deal that would allow Snowden — considered a hero by some and a traitor by others — to return to the United States. Holder s comments are notable because as attorney general, he filed felony charges against Snowden. And Snowden s lawyer, Ben Wizner, told Yahoo News that I don t think we ve seen this kind of respect from anybody at a Cabinet level before.
Since the Snowden leaks, the necessary debate of which Holder speaks has spurred, among other things: a court decision declaring some of the spying illegal, new legislation to rein in mass surveillance, and action from tech companies to protect user privacy. However, efforts to combat the reduction of government spying powers continue.
A spokeswoman for current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told Yahoo: Our position regarding bringing Edward Snowden back to the United States to face charges has not changed.
Photo of Edward Snowden from AFP/Getty Images
