“A federal judge is investigating allegations that the government may have improperly destroyed documents during the high-profile media leak investigation of National Security Agency whistleblower Thomas Drake.”

Judge probes destruction of evidence in NSA leak prosecution
McClatchy

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“A current and former top official at the Defense Department’s inspector general office are the subjects of a court investigation of alleged destruction of key documents during the watchdog’s own probe of the whistleblower case of former National Security Agency official Thomas Drake.”

“Baltimore-based U.S. Magistrate Stephanie Gallagher had begun the probe after Drake’s attorneys at the Government Accountability Project in April accused the Defense Department IG’s office of having destroyed evidentiary documents several years earlier during a probe of possible retaliation against Drake.”

Former Pentagon IG Official Probed for Destroying Documents
Government Executive

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If the government is in fact destroy critical documents regarding retaliation against whistleblowers and their claims, how could Edward Snowden possibly expect to receive a fair trial?

Daniel Ellsberg, the man who disclosed the Pentagon papers, had a different take on Snowden’s actions, arguing that Snowden “should be thanked for sparking the debate that forced Congress to change US surveillance law.”

Daniel Ellsberg credits Edward Snowden with catalysing US surveillance reform
The Guardian