It is unfortunate to see how the subject (Greenwald & friends) of this news article has been playing the pressure and coercion game on one of the sources I spoke with at length. Here are the two specific questions presented to this source, Mr. William Binney, and his answers written verbatim, after which his responses were read back to him twice for accuracy and his approval:
1- Mr. Binney, we have received a report from a source who retired from NSA in late 2000, and who worked for [Delete] Division of NSA, claiming that PayPal has been a willing partner of NSA for many years, and has provided NSA indiscriminate access to its clients’ financial transactions. Do you consider this claim legitimate? If so, do you have any information on this partnership?
Yes. It is absolutely legit. Let me tell you this … NSA has had this cooperation, partnership … this relationship with major financial institutions … not only PayPal but credit card companies too. At least with 78 financial companies. Not only they get and store all this information, the financial data … Americans’ and foreigners’, but they also share it with FBI, DEA and other law enforcement agencies regularly.
2- Then how do you feel about the billionaire owner of one of these financial companies, PayPal, forming a business venture partnership with journalists-Greenwald and Poitras, while 99% of the information (documents) have remained undisclosed?
Public is entitled to this information. As I have always said, sunlight … transparency, is the only thing that can bring the needed changes … it is the only cure … As for the partnership … well … obviously. I mean, this, PayPal billionaire who is implicated owning Snowden’s documents …of course, it presents grave consequences and major consequences … conflict of interest too … by that I don’t mean only for Snowden and NSA … but, for transparency and all whistleblowers.