General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Plame and Wilson: The NSA's metastasised intelligence-industrial complex is ripe for abuse [View all]Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)warrant to collect the information he stole from the NSA, so without the warrant to collect from the NSA Snowden has violated the Fourth Amendment that you seem to be so upset about. Snowden was acting as his own agent in collecting (stealing) from NSA. He delivered information he had to a foreign news media which is a violation and resulting in him being charged with espionage. It is still espionage if he leaked information about the operation and this is a no brainier. If Snowden acted out of conscience why would he steal or is stealing not a part of his conscience? Stealing does not speak well for his integrity.
I understand quiet well what a whistleblower means. Did you know whistleblowers are excluded from the Whistleblower Act? Maybe Snowden did not know this either but ignorance of the law is not a defense.