Spy secrets-leaker Edward Snowden reportedly claims former CIA Director David Petraeus disclosed "information that was far more highly classified than I ever did."
In an interview with Katie Couric of Yahoo News, the fugitive former National Security Agency contractor said the case of the retired general —under consideration for secretary of state in the Trump administration — is evidence of "a two-tiered system of justice in the United States, where people who are either well connected to government or they have access to an incredible amount of resources get very light punishments."
Snowden, who's charged with theft of government property and violating the Espionage Act, is hoping for a pardon from President Barack Obama or a plea deal to let him back into the United States without significant jail time.
In his Yahoo interview, Snowden argues there've been cases "where the government goes, ‘This person was acting in good faith. They were trying to do right by the American people. But they did break the law.’ No charges are ever brought, or they’re brought very minimally."
"Perhaps the best-known case in recent history here is Gen. Petraeus — who shared information that was far more highly classified than I ever did with journalists," he added.
"And he shared this information not with the public for their benefit, but with his biographer and lover for personal benefit — conversations that had information, detailed information, about military special-access programs, that’s classified above top secret, conversations with the president and so on."
"When the government came after him, they charged him with a misdemeanor," he continued. "He never spent a single day in jail, despite the type of classified information he exposed."
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