The Trump Administration has filed a civil suit against former CIA employee Edward Snowden and his publishers in an attempt to "recover all proceeds" from his new book, Permanent Record.
Justice said Snowden failed to submit the book for republication review, which violates his signed nondisclosure agreement.
The suit is unrelated to the criminal charges brought against Snowden for his alleged disclosure of classified information.
Justice said it is only nominally naming the publishers in the suit to ensure that they don't give him any funds while a court decides the case.
It also said it is not trying to keep the book off the selves or tablets. "The United States’ lawsuit does not seek to stop or restrict the publication or distribution of Permanent Record," Justice said. "Rather, under well-established Supreme Court precedent, Snepp v. United States, the government seeks to recover all proceeds earned by Snowden because of his failure to submit his publication for pre-publication review in violation of his alleged contractual and fiduciary obligations."
