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Bin Laden Raid Bestseller's Author to Pay $7m for Violating NDA

posted by takyon on Monday August 22 2016, @11:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the shhhhh dept.

n1 writes:

A former US Navy Seal who wrote a bestseller about his role in the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden is to pay nearly $7m (£5m) to the government for violating non-disclosure agreements.

Matt Bissonette failed to get clearance from the Pentagon before the book No Easy Day was published in 2012.

He has agreed to forfeit all profits and royalties, as well as film rights and speaking fees.

In exchange, the government will dismiss other liability claims.

Source: BBC News

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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 22 2016, @03:38PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 22 2016, @03:38PM (#391689)

    Many people are suggesting that this is the government "blackmailing" or otherwise threatening the former Navy Seal. This is not correct, and this is a complete non-story. See Government form SF312: CLASSIFIED INFORMATION NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT [archives.gov].

    I'm assuming this person made an agreement with the government prior to receiving classified information. (Or do you really think the government would say "hey, here, have this Top Secret info, no strings attached.") Now see clause 5:

    5. I hereby assign to the United States Government all royalties, remunerations, and emoluments that have resulted, will result or may result from any disclosure, publication, or revelation of classified information not consistent with the terms of this Agreement.

    If there is a news story here, it is that the government is limiting the expense to the ~$7million, rather than targeting everything.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 22 2016, @05:52PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 22 2016, @05:52PM (#391751)

    If there is a news story here, it is that the government is limiting the expense to the ~$7million, rather than targeting everything.

    From TFS:

    He has agreed to forfeit all profits and royalties, as well as film rights and speaking fees.

    So it's not "just" 7 megabucks, though I'm not sure how close it is to "everything" either. I assume the 7 million roughly corresponds to the money he's already got from it...