Edward Snowden downloaded 1.7 million intelligence files from US agencies, the most secrets ever to be stolen from the US government in a single instance in the nation\u2019s history, according to lawmakers who have viewed a classified Pentagon report.<\/p>\n
Legislators who saw the secret report claimed that many of the documents taken by Snowden regarding military options could put personnel at risk, although they did not delve into specifics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis report confirms my greatest fears \u2014 Snowden\u2019s real acts of betrayal place America\u2019s military men and women at greater risk. Snowden\u2019s actions are likely to have lethal consequences for our troops in the field<\/em>,\u201d Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said in a statement. Rogers had recently ignited some controversy after joking that Snowden should be placed on a military \u201ckill list.\u201d<\/p>\n The whistleblower downloaded all of the material he would eventually leak while earning over $100,000 annually and working at an NSA facility in Hawaii last year.<\/p>\n The Washington Post reported that if Snowden did indeed download 1.7 million he may have only released small percentages of that total to individual journalists.<\/p>\n Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) \u2014 the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee \u2014 agreed with Rogers, claiming the amount of information Snowden took could \u201cgravely impact<\/em>\u201d US national security.<\/p>\n Yet others, including American Civil Liberties attorney and Snowden adviser Ben Wizden, say government officials are overstating the risk.<\/p>\n