Former Rep. Ron Paul says the man who leaked information about secret spying programs may have broken the law, but criticism should be directed at government officials who might be skirting the limits of the law.
“Who’s going to punish them?” said Mr. Paul, now the chairman of the Campaign for Liberty, told MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown.”
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Mr. Paul, a former presidential candidate who served as a Texas Republican during three stints in the House, says GOP lawmakers are misplaying the issue by condemning Edward Snowden — a 29-year-old analyst who worked for the CIA, the National Security Agency and various companies before disclosing the programs’ existence — instead of focusing on whether the Obama administration has exceeded the parameters of the 2002 Patriot Act established under former President George W. Bush.
“It’s been turned on its head,” Mr. Paul, a libertarian favorite, told host Chuck Todd, saying Republicans are guilty of “political foolishness” for running to President Obama’s rescue.
