(CNN) — NSA leaker Edward Snowden released a statement Monday, the same day a federal judge said that he believes the government’s once-secret collection of domestic phone records is unconstitutional.
“I acted on my belief that the NSA’s mass surveillance programs would not withstand a constitutional challenge, and that the American public deserved a chance to see these issues determined by open courts.
Today, a secret program authorized by a secret court was, when exposed to the light of day, found to violate Americans’ rights. It is the first of many,” it read.
The Justice Department said Monday it was studying a court ruling that preliminarily found NSA surveillance of telephone metadata unconstitutional, adding that it believes the spy program, revealed publicly in leaks by Snowden, protects privacy rights.
Read more on the judge’s ruling that finds NSA phone tapping unconstitutional.
