Snowden left Hawaii home over a month ago

The NSA whistle-blower, now in Hong Kong, appears to have begun avoiding authorities in early May

Published June 10, 2013 2:12PM (EDT)

 Edward Snowden (Guardian screen grab)
Edward Snowden (Guardian screen grab)

According to a Hawaii real estate agent, NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden and his girlfriend moved out of their Hawaii home on May 1. AP reported that:

Edward Snowden and his girlfriend moved out of their home in a quiet neighborhood near Honolulu on May 1, leaving nothing behind. Century 21 real estate agent Kerri Jo Heim says Sunday that the owner of the house wanted the couple out so that the home could be sold. Heim says police came by on Wednesday to ask where the couple went. She told them she didn't know.

This suggests that Snowden prepared his escape from the U.S. long in advance of the Guardian's publication of his leaked documents of NSA surveillance and prompts questions about the timing and planning that went behind releasing the important revelations. Snowden has made clear that he expects fierce backlash from the U.S. government. "I could not do this without accepting the risk of prison. You can’t come up against the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies and not accept the risk. If they want to get you, over time they will," said the 29-year-old whistle-blower.

 


By Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Edward Snowden Extradition Hawaii Nsa Spying Surveillance Whistleblower