Arrest of an Employee Linked to the NSA on Charges of Theft of Classified Information

On Wednesday, October 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that a contractor employee of the National Security Agency (NSA), Harold Thomas Martin, 51, was arrested about a month and a half ago on charges of stealing classified information, and investigations are ongoing. The arrested individual was identified as an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton, the same company that Edward Snowden, the whistleblower of U.S. security information, also worked for. According to AFP, Harold Thomas Martin is accused of theft of government property, unauthorized deletion of information, and storing classified and sensitive information. Mr. Martin was arrested by the FBI at his home on August 27 (September 6). The New York Times reported that part of the information stolen by Mr. Martin included codes used by the NSA to infiltrate the computer networks of Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea. U.S. judicial officials say he could face up to ten years in prison if convicted. However, Harold Thomas Martin's defense attorneys have told American media that Mr. Martin has always served the U.S. throughout his professional life and there is no evidence that he has betrayed his country. According to Reuters, following the news of Harold Thomas Martin's arrest, the stock value of Booz Allen Hamilton dropped by 3.7%. Previously, the disclosure of documents by Edward Snowden and their publication in European publications in 2013 had made headlines. In 2013, Snowden published documents showing that the NSA had conducted extensive surveillance and control over the conversations of numerous citizens and leaders of U.S. allied countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. U.S. officials claim that Snowden endangered national security by leaking classified documents and should be prosecuted. The House Security Committee also described Snowden in a report on September 15 as a 'disgruntled employee' who 'was essentially seeking to expose' documents related to extensive surveillance from the very beginning. According to this report, Snowden used his privileges as a network administrator to search through his colleagues' drives. However, Snowden has repeatedly emphasized that he did not commit any wrongdoing. After his passport was revoked by the U.S., Edward Snowden sought asylum in Russia. The U.S. government has repeatedly requested his extradition from Russia, but Moscow has responded negatively to these requests. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union, launched a campaign titled 'Pardon Snowden' on September 15, urging the U.S. President to grant clemency to Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor.