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Whitehouse.gov petition to pardon Snowden passes 100,000 signatures

Whitehouse.gov: The administration routinely declines to comment on petitions regarding law enforcement matters, including pardon requests. The ultimate answer is the administration's pursuit of Snowden on espionage charges.

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Evan Vucci/AP
White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, while answering questions about Edward Snowden.
  • By Nedra Pickler Associated Press

| WASHINGTON

A petition asking President Barack Obama to pardon admitted state secret leaker Edward Snowden has passed 100,000 signatures.

The petition posted on Whitehouse.gov calls the former National Security Agency contractor a "national hero." It says he should immediately be pardoned for any crimes in "blowing the whistle" on classified government programs to collect phone records and online data.

White House policy is to respond to any petition that gets 100,000 signatures within 30 days. The Snowdenpetition crossed the threshold in two weeks.

The White House would not say when its response will come. But it routinely declines to comment on petitionsregarding law enforcement matters, including pardon requests. And the ultimate answer is the administration's pursuit of Snowden on espionage charges.

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