Following some high-profile leaks of classified data, the spotlight has been shining on corporations hired to do secret intelligence work for the federal government. The scrutiny came from congressional hearings as well as from a new report on political contributions by private contractors.
Because Edward Snowden, who leaked secret info on the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs, was an employee of a private government contractor, the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday received a closed briefing that included details about who has access to classified data. Senators heard from NSA deputy director John Inglis; Robert Litt, general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and deputy U.S. attorney general James Cole.
