Washington: A former senior executive of the
top secret National Security Agency (NSA) who allegedly leaked
classified information to a newspaper reporter via email has
been indicted on multiple charges, the Justice Department said
on Thursday.
Thomas Drake, 52, was charged in a 10-count indictment
handed down by a federal grand jury in Maryland, the
department said in a statement.
Drake, who served as a high-ranking employee at the NSA
between 2001 through 2008, is accused of illegally retaining
classified information, obstructing justice and making false
statements, it said.
According to the Justice Department, Drake, of Glenwood,
Maryland, provided information to a newspaper reporter for a
series of articles published between February 2006 and
November 2007.
The indictment did not identify the reporter or the
newspaper.
It also did not identify the subject of the stories but
said the reporter wrote "articles about the NSA and its
intelligence activities, including SIGNIT programs."
NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, where Drake
worked, is the main facility for SIGNET, or Signals
Intelligence programs, which involve capturing and processing
foreign communications for intelligence purposes.
PTI