Boehner: Snowden a 'Traitor' Who 'Put America at Risk'

House Speaker John Boehner says Edward Snowden, the man who leaked classified information on the government’s Internet and telephone monitoring programs, is a “traitor” who has “put America at risk.”

“He’s a traitor,” Boehner said in an interview Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “The disclosure of this information puts Americans at risk. It shows our adversaries what our capabilities are. And it’s a giant violation of the law.”

Boehner said President Barack Obama must defend the intelligence efforts to the American people. The leaders of both political parties have closed ranks around the Internet and telephone surveillance programs, especially with the emergence of Edward J. Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor, as the source of the leak, The New York Times pointed out.

“When you look at these programs, there are clear safeguards,” Boehner said. “There’s no American who’s going to be snooped on in any way, unless they’re in contact with some terrorists somewhere around the world.

“There is heavy oversight of this program by the House Intelligence Committee on a bipartisan basis and the Senate Intelligence Committee. And that’s why I feel comfortable that we can operate this program and protect the privacy rights of our citizens.”