Intel Chairman Sees Snowden Supporting Russia’s Crimea Seizure

By Tom Curry

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Sunday former National Security Agency contractor and fugitive Edward Snowden is actually supporting in an odd way this very activity of brazen brutality and expansionism of Russia. He needs to understand that. And I think Americans need to understand that.

Rogers, a Michigan Republican, spoke as Russian forces were poised on the border of Ukraine, with Russia having already annexed the Crimea region.

Snowden has revealed details of the NSAs surveillance programs since leaving the United States last May. He eventually ended up in Moscow where President Vladimir Putins government has granted him asylum.

Rogers said on NBCs Meet the Press that Snowden is under the influence of Russian intelligence services today. For the investigators, they need to figure out: When did that influence start? And was he interested in cooperating (with Russian intelligence agencies) earlier than the timeline would suggest?

Federal prosecutors have charged Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and communication of classified information to an unauthorized person.

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First published March 23 2014, 7:20 AM

Tom Curry is a National Affairs writer for NBCNews.com. He began reporting on politics and public policy for NBCNews.com in June 1996, when the site was msnbc.com.

Before joining msnbc.com, Curry worked as a reporter/researcher for Time magazine where he reported on politics, business, social trends, and golf.

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Intel Chairman Sees Snowden Supporting Russia's Crimea Seizure