Devln Nunes, California, CHAIRMAN

Jeff MHler, Florida

K. Mlchael Conaway, Texas
PeterT. King, NewYork
Frank A. LoBiondo, New Jersey
Lynn A. \^/estmoreland, Georgia
ThomasJ Rooney' Florida
Joseph J. Heck, Nevada
Mike F(. Pompeo, Kansas

HVC-304, THE CAPITOL

U.S. HOUSE OF F]EPF}ESENTATIVES

lleana Flos-Lehtinen, Florida

PEF"ANENT SELECT CoMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, DC 20515

(2O2) 225-4121
DAMON NELSON

Mlchael Ft, Turner, Ohio
Bred Fi. Wenstrup' Ohlo

oN INTELLIGENCE

STAFF DIF(ECTOR

Chris Stewart, Utah
MlcHAEL BAHAFi
MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR

Adam B. Schiff, Callfornia,
F(ANKING

MEMBEFI

James A. Himes, Connecticut
Terri A. Sewell, Alabama
Andr6 Carson, lndlana
Jackie Speier, California
Mike Quigley/ llllnois

Erie Swalwell, California
PatrlckE Murphy' Florlda

Joaquin Castro, Texas

Paul D. Fiyan, SpEAKEF] OF THE HousE
Nancy Pelosi, DEMOCFiATIC LEADEFl

September 15, 2016

The Honorable Barack Obama
President ofthe United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:

We urge you not to pardon Edward Snowden, who perpetrated the largest and most
damaging public disclosure ofclassified information in our nation,s history. IfMr. Snowden
retums from Russia, where he fled in 2013, the U.S. govemment must hold him accountable fior
hisactions.

In a press conference on August 9, 2013, you said, wl don,t think Mr. Snowden was a
patriot." On September 1 5, 2016, after an exhaustive two-year review, the House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence unanimously approved a final report entitled jZevz'ew a/
Unauthorized Disclosures by Former NSA Contractor Edward Snowden. In shoTt9We a,glee WLth
you. Mr. Snowden is not apatriot. He is not a whistleblower. He is a criminal.

Mr. Snowden,s claim that he stole this information and disclosed it to protect Americans,

privacy and civil liberties is undercut by his actions. Rather than avail himselfofthe many
lawful avenues to express legal, moral, or ethical qualms with U.S. intelligence activities, Mr.
Snowden stole 1.5 million classified documents from National Security Agency networks. The
vast majority ofthe documents had nothing to do with programs impacting individual privacy
interests, but instead pertain to military, defense, and intelligence programs ofgreat interest to
America,s enemies. In the course ofdoing so, he infiringed on the privacy ofthousands ofhis
friends, colleagues, and fellow citizens by obtaining security credentials through misleading
means, abusing his access as a systems administrator, and removing personally identifiable
information.
Moreover, the material Mr. Snowden stole pertains to lawful intelligence activities
authorized and overseen by all three branches ofgovemment. He took the material to China and
Russia-two regimes that routinely violate their citizens, privacy and civil liberties. The

 infiormation released to the public is also available to hostile intelligence services, terrorists, and
many others who wish to do us harm. Snowden insists he has not shared the 1.5 million
documents with anyone, but the Russians offlcials publically concede that he 66did share
intelligence" with their govemment.

America,s intelligence professionals take Mr. Snowden,s disclosures personally. We
share their view that a pardon would severely undermine America's intelligence institutions and
core principles, and would subvert the range ofprocedures in place to protect whistleblowers.
Sincerely9

~1
=E=

_- ut-L