NSA Damage Assessment Claims Snowden Copied 1.7 Million Documents – Possible Inflation of Numbers

NSA Damage Assessment Claims Snowden Copied 1.7 Million Documents – Possible Inflation of Numbers The passage suggests that the NSA may have overstated the volume of classified material Snowden accessed, implicating senior NSA officials (e.g., Ledgett) in a potential cover‑up. It provides specific figures (1.7 M documents, 58,000 on a thumb drive) and mentions internal assessment teams, which could be pursued for FOIA or congressional inquiry. However, the claim is largely speculative, lacks corroborating evidence, and repeats already known disputes about Snowden's theft, limiting its novelty and immediate investigative payoff. Key insights: NSA Damage Assessment team allegedly reported 1.7 M documents touched, 1.3 M copied.; Snowden’s prior work at Dell (2012) may have added undisclosed copies.; NSA official Ledgett (head of National Threat Operations Center) is named as possibly inflating numbers.