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The FBI thinks it has found Glenn Greenwald's second leaker

The FBI thinks it has found Glenn Greenwald's second leaker

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As Glenn Greenwald's The Intercept continues to publish secret government documents, some of which go beyond the initial NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden, speculation has grown concerning a second leaker smuggling classified documents to the publication. After a recent law enforcement raid, that speculation seems to be confirmed. Yahoo's Michael Isikoff reports that the FBI has identified a contractor who may be responsible for leaking documents about abuses in the government's terrorist tracking system, as detailed in this Intercept report. According to Isikoff, the suspect's home has been searched and federal prosecutors in northern Virginia have opened a criminal investigation into the matter.

The initial leaks revealed that more than half of the people identified in the FBI's terrorist tracking database had no clear affiliation with a terrorist group, suggesting real problems for the database as a law enforcement tool. As a result, many have viewed the source as whistleblower acting in the public interest. The Obama administration has been notoriously eager to prosecute whistleblowers in the name of national security, but Isikoff's report suggests the administration has grown less eager to prosecute the cases. Still, with Snowden still facing espionage charges, it remains to be seen what will happen to other officials who have made the leap to reveal government misconduct.