A Matter of National Security, No Doubt

In a letter responding to a June 27 FOIA request from The Desk, the NSA’s chief FOIA officer Pamela Phillips wrote that while the agency has retained records related to [Edward] Snowden’s employment as a contractor, they are being withheld from public examination because, among other things, releasing the records “could interfere with law enforcement proceedings, could cause an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, could reveal the identities of confidential sources or would reveal law enforcement techniques and procedures.”

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The Desk‘s original FOIA request was for “and and all e-mails sent by Edward Snowden using the e-mail address ejsnowd@nsa.ic.gov to any and all NSA officials, including officials at the Office of General Counsel, for the time period between January 1, 2013 and June 1, 2013.”

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The letter marks the first time the NSA has publicly acknowledged retaining communication and employment records related to Snowden’s time as a contractor.

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The NSA informed The Desk that the agency has a process for appealing FOIA requests that are denied or to challenge the withholding of certain records. The Desk will be taking advantage of this process.

  Matthew Keys/The Desk