Crime | Thomas Drake Whistleblower Gets Plea Deal in NSA Case White House had hoped to send message on leaks By John Johnson Posted Jun 9, 2011 6:36 PM CDT Copied A file photo of Thomas Drake at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) A White House attempt to crack down on classified leaks is fizzling with a misdemeanor plea deal, reports the Washington Post. Former NSA official Thomas Drake will plead guilty to using a government computer to share information with an unauthorized person—who happened to a be a Baltimore Sun reporter. He will serve no jail time or even pay a fine, and he's cleared of any allegations that he mishandled classified information. It's a far cry from the 10 felony counts he was originally charged with under the Espionage Act, which could have meant 35 years in jail. Drake gave the information to the reporter because he thought the National Security Agency was violating citizens' privacy with policies put in place in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. He left the NSA n 2008. Read These Next The Supreme Court just struck down President Trump's tariffs. Big Bang Theory star reveals his 'masked vigilante thing.' President Trump struck defiant tone after tariffs loss at court. Patrick Dempsey, Shonda Rhimes pay tribute to Eric Dane. Report an error