Fugitive leaker Edward Snowden says he’s offered to serve U.S. jail time — but hasn’t heard back from the American government.
Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified documents about government surveillance, has been living in exile in Moscow. The U.S. government wants to try him.
He discussed government surveillance in an interview with the BBC which aired Monday night. When asked if he would be prepared to serve jail time or take a plea bargain, Snowden said: “Of course.”
“I’ve volunteered to go to prison with the government many times,” he told the program.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment. However, former Attorney General Eric Holder said this summer he felt “the possibility exists” for a deal to be struck which would see Snowden return to the U.S. from Moscow.
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When asked if the possibility of a deal was something his lawyers were actively discussing with the U.S. government, Snowden said he was “still waiting for them to call us back.”
Snowden has been living in Moscow since June 2013.
Cassandra Vinograd