Booz Allen fires Edward Snowden for ‘shocking’ violation of ethics code
Booz Allen Hamilton said Tuesday it has fired Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old contractor who admitted leaking information about secret National Security Administration surveillance programs to the press.
{mosads}In a statement, the company said Snowden was an employee for the firm for less than three months and was fired on Monday for “violations of the firm’s code of ethics and firm policy.” Booz Allen also noted that Snowden’s annual salary was $122,000, lower than the $200,000 figure reported by The Guardian.
“News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm,” the company said in a statement. “We will work closely with our clients and authorities in their investigation of this matter.”
Booz Allen’s company stock was slammed Monday, the first day of trading since Snowden’s identity was revealed. According to The New York Times, the contractor held government contracts totaling $3.85 billion in 2011, representing 98 percent of its revenue.
Snowden fled to Hong Kong ahead of the public revelations about the NSA programs, but has not been seen since checking out of a downtown hotel on Monday.
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