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FBI Identifies 2nd NSA Leaker

Revealed guidelines for terrorist-watchlist system.

A so-called second leaker of classified government documents that outline the U.S.’s terror-watchlist system has been identified by the FBI, according to law-enforcement and intelligence sources. An Aug. 5 article titled “Barack Obama’s Secret Terrorist-Tracking System, by the Numbers” and published on The Intercept—an investigative website founded by Edward Snowden’s confidant Glenn Greenwald—revealed a database of the government’s master screening list, half of which was made up of U.S. citizens with “no recognized terrorist affiliation.” The data was as recent as August 2013, months after Snowden, the NSA contractor who leaked thousands of top-secret documents, had revealed his identity and fled to Hong Kong, sparking speculation that there was a second intelligence insider involved with the leaks.

Another source close to the case expressed concern that “there is no longer an appetite at Justice for these cases,” due to criticism against the Justice Department for being overzealous in prosecuting leak cases, which may make it reluctant to charge those in question. Yet Steve Aftergood, who closely tracks government-secrecy efforts, feels differently. “These leaks are taken extremely seriously,” he said. If there is sufficient evidence against a new leaker, “I don’t think they will let it slide.”