PoliticsWhite Houseedward snowdenpardon

White House: 'Pardon Edward Snowden? LOL!'

The Obama administration wants Snowden to come back and face "the consequences of his actions."
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Reporter, The Huffington Post

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Credit: Adam Berry via Getty Images

WASHINGTON -- Despite a petition 167,000 strong, the White House is, unsurprisingly, in no hurry to welcome NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden back to the United States. 

Finally responding on Tuesday to a 2013 petition, the Obama administration said it would not pardon the former government contractor who revealed sweeping government surveillance on millions of Americans. The administration also called Snowden a bit of a coward for deciding to hide out in Russia.

“Instead of constructively addressing these issues, Mr. Snowden's dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it,” the White House response reads. “He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers -- not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he's running away from the consequences of his actions.”

The response is contrary to recent remarks by former Attorney General Eric Holder, who suggested in earlier this month that there might be a way for Snowden to cut a deal and return to the U.S. Holder additionally said that if Snowden had such a problem with the NSA’s sweeping data collections, he should’ve taken it up with Congress, not leaked the information to a reporter.

The White House, similarly, says Snowden should have taken a different course of action if he was so disturbed by the NSA’s programs. But now, it wants him to come back and face the consequences of his actions.

Of course, Pennsylvania Ave. also took some time to pat itself on the back for embracing national security reforms sparked by Snowden’s revelations.

"Since taking office, President Obama has worked with Congress to secure appropriate reforms that balance the protection of civil liberties with the ability of national security professionals to secure information vital to keep Americans safe,” Lisa Monaco, one of the president’s national security advisors, said in the response.

After a protracted battle in Congress, the programs that Snowden revealed shut down temporarily. In June, lawmakers voted to overhaul the surveillance strategies, allowing more protections for personal information and limiting the amount of data the government could collect on American citizens.

Also on HuffPost:

'We The People' Responses
White House Responds To We The People Petitions(01 of10)
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The White House issued responses to its backlog of "We the People" petitions that had met the 100,000 signatures requirement. Twenty petitions received responses, including a petition to pardon Edward Snowden and one to "condemn the apartheid state of Israel." The Obama administration promised to reply to petitions that meet the signature goal within 60 days "wherever possible." The White House originally launched the website in 2011 allowing the American public the right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." (credit:Bobby Yip / Reuters)
Petition to 'Pardon Edward Snowden'(02 of10)
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The White House responded to the "We the People" petition calling for a pardon of Edward Snowden, saying that it will not be pardoning the former NSA contractor. "He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers -- not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he's running away from the consequences of his actions," the White House said in its response. (credit:Barton Gellman via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Condemn the Apartheid State of Israel for their Human Rights Violations against the Palestinian Peoples'(03 of10)
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The White House remained neutral in its response to the petition requesting the condemnation of Israel for human rights violations against Palestine.

"The Israeli government and the Palestinians need to demonstrate -- through policies and actions -- a genuine commitment to a two state solution," the response read, continuing to say "the Palestinians deserve an end to the occupation and daily indignities that come with it."

The Obama administration's response referred to the petition only as the "Petition on Israeli-Palestinian Relations."

(credit:JEAN CHRISTOPHE MAGNENET via Getty Images/AFP)
Petition to 'Support Kurdish Independence'(04 of10)
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In response to a petition asking President Barack Obama to support Kurdish Independence, the White House said they supported "the efforts of Iraq's political leaders to unify the country." "The President is committed to the united, federal, and democratic Iraq that is defined in the Iraqi constitution," the Obama administration said in response. (credit:SAFIN HAMED via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Bring Justice to Michael Brown'(05 of10)
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The White House finally issued a response to a petition calling on Obama to "bring justice to Michael Brown." The Obama administration said the matter was not up to them.

Referring to the Justice Department's conclusion that there were no grounds to indict former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, the White House said they played "no role in this decision."

(credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Support Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods'(06 of10)
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The Obama administration reached out to the Food and Drug Administration in response to a petition asking the White House to "support mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods."

Currently, food manufacturers are under no obligation to label genetically modified food. However, if they chose to label the food, those voluntary labels must be accurate, the White House response said.

The Obama administration stated that this is "part of an ongoing conversation" and the American public should "stay tuned" for more updates.

(credit:ROBYN BECK via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Declare Sickle Cell Disease a National Health Priority'(07 of10)
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The Obama administration cited the work of the Department of Health and Human Services in response to a petition to "declare sickle cell disease a national priority." The White House insisted that it would continue investing in research on the disease that effects over 90,000 Americans. "We still have much more work to do, but we will continue to make progress -- not just to help the tens of thousands of Americans currently living with sickle cell disease, but to ensure that one day, we have a generation where the disease is only something that's read about in history books," the administration said in its response. (credit:Baltimore Sun via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Implore the Obama Administration to Return Kelly Rutherford's Children'(08 of10)
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The White House did not comment on the issues raised in the "We the People" petition to return Kelly Rutherford's children to the United States since it involved ongoing legal proceedings.

(credit:Eugene Gologursky via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Award the Medal of Freedom to the 4 Firefighters who were Ambushed in West Webster New York'(09 of10)
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In response to the petition "to award the Medal of Freedom to the 4 Firefighters who were ambushed in West Webster New York on Christmas Eve 2012," the Obama administration refused to comment on future winners of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"We can, however, take this opportunity to recognize that these four firefighters -- Michael Chiapperini, Tomasz Kaczowka, Joseph Hofstetter, and Theodore Scardino -- have demonstrated many of the qualities of past Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and we are forever grateful for their service," the administration said.

 (credit:Guy Solimano via Getty Images)
Petition to 'Award Yogi Berra The Presidential Medal of Freedom'(10 of10)
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The Obama administration declined to comment on whether Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since the award is at the sole discretion of the President, the White House cannot comment on future award winners. The White House did mention that "Yogi" Berra demonstrated many of the qualities of past award winners and thus, "it ain't over 'til it's over." "We can, however, say that throughout his career as a Hall-of-Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and beyond, Yogi Berra has done a lot more than hit and think at the same time. He demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and character on his way to winning 13 World Series championships as a player and manager, with each new title feeling like déjà vu all over again. He served our country in the U.S. Navy during World War II -- including the D-Day invasion, and has established himself as an advocate for civil rights, education, and inclusion of the LGBT community in sports," the White House added. (credit:Steve Nesius / Reuters)

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