Civil Liberties

Defense Contractor Fires NSA Leaker Edward Snowden

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The Guardian

Massive defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton announced today that it has fired Edward Snowden, a contract employee with the NSA's Hawaii office who allegedly leaked classified documents to The Guardian. You can read Booz's statement below: 

Booz Allen can confirm that Edward Snowden, 29, was an employee of our firm for less than 3 months, assigned to a team in Hawaii. Snowden, who had a salary at the rate of $122,000, was terminated June 10, 2013 for violations of the firm's code of ethics and firm policy. News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm. We will work closely with our clients and authorities in their investigation of this matter.

Has an actual government employee ever been fired so quickly? 

According to the Washington Post, Booz Allen Hamilton is one of the largest private employers in the D.C. region, with annual income over $5 billion (most of it from federal contracts) and over $3 billion in assets.