Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says fugitive leaker Edward Snowden performed a “public service” but still deserves to be punished.
“We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think that he actually performed a public service by raising the debate that we engaged in and by the changes that we made,” Holder told former Obama White House adviser David Axelrod on an episode of “The Axes Files” podcast released Monday.
But the former attorney general was quick to add that Snowden — who leaked explosive documents about American government surveillance programs while…
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com