Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who in 2013 leaked thousands of classified documents showing U.S. surveillance of private data, argues in a new interview that retired Gen. David Petraeus was responsible for mishandling far more sensitive information than Snowden himself.
Petraeus, a former director of the CIA, is reportedly up for consideration as secretary of state under President-elect Donald Trump.
“We have a two-tiered system of justice in the United States, where people who are either well-connected to government or have access to an incredible amount of resources get very light punishments,” Snowden told Yahoo News in an exclusive interview, parts of which were published Sunday.
“Perhaps the best-known case in recent history here is General Petraeus,” he went on, “who shared information that was far more highly classified than I ever did with journalists.”
Petraeus pleaded guilty in 2015 to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information after disclosing state secrets to his biographer Paula Broadwell, with whom he was having an affair.
He handed Broadwell a black book of highly classified “code word” documents that included the identities of covert officers and notes of National Security Council meetings, according to court records. Petraeus retrieved the information three days later, and Broadwell never made the information public.
Petraeus was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.
Snowden, who leaked classified information to journalists to expose the NSA’s massive surveillance of Americans and others around the globe, also criticized the general’s motives, claiming that Petraeus leaked agents’ identities to impress his lover.
“His desire to sleep with his biographer was greater than his concern for agents’ safety,” Snowden tweeted on Sunday. “He did get laid, though.”
Snowden told Yahoo’s Katie Couric that Petraeus “shared this information not with the public for their benefit, but with his biographer and lover for personal benefit — conversations that had information, detailed information, about military special-access programs, that’s classified above top secret, conversations with the president and so on.”
He added that Petraeus “never spent a single day in jail, despite the type of classified information he exposed.”
Snowden spoke to Couric in Moscow, where he now lives as a fugitive.
Petraeus hasn’t responded to Snowden’s comments, but he apologized again for the leaks after meeting with Trump late last month to discuss a possible role as secretary of state.
Petraeus said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that the FBI “acknowledged that nothing that was in my journals that I shared — certainly improperly — ended up in the biography or made it out to the public. I think that’s a fairly significant point.”
“Five years ago, I made a serious mistake,” he went on. “I acknowledged it, I apologized for it, I paid a very heavy price for it and I’ve learned from it.”
Snowden, who has been charged with treason, is seeking a pardon or a plea deal from the Obama administration before Trump steps into the White House.
The “idea here,” he explained to Couric, is that “when most people who are involved in government or the intelligence community are involved in some sort of case where the government goes, ‘This person was acting in good faith, they were trying to do right by the American people, but they did break the law’ ― no charges are ever brought.”
Snowden’s full interview will be available for viewing Monday night.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.