Lonnie Snowden, father of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, asked his son in an interview with Fox News set to air Monday not to leak more information.
"We want you to be safe, we want you to be happy, but I know you're your own man and you're going to do what you feel that you have to do," he said, addressing his son in an interview recorded on Sunday. "I believe firmly that you are a man of principle, I believe in your character, I don't know what you've seen, but I just ask that you measure what you're going to do and not release any more information."
Snowden is reportedly in hiding in Hong Kong, where he is hoping to avoid the prosecution that numerous lawmakers and authorities have called for in the wake of his actions. On Monday, he participated in a live chat with The Guardian, to which he first gave information about the NSA's massive data surveillance programs. He defended his decision to disclose classified information during the question-and-answer session.
The elder Snowden also defended his son's character during the interview with Fox News, responding to what he called "misinformation in the media." While Snowden spoke out strongly against the NSA practice that his son's leaks have revealed, he also made it clear that he didn't want him to "release any secrets that could constitute treason," suggesting that the current stress he faced could lead to a "bad decision."
Click here to more about Fox News' interview with Lonnie Snowden. A longer version of their interview is set to air on "The Five" on Monday afternoon.
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