The online petition that asks the Obama administration to pardon NSA leaker Edward Snowden has reached the threshold of 100,000 signatures. According to Whitehouse.gov guidelines, it is now entitled to an official response from the administration.

The "We the People" petition, which aims to pardon Snowden of any crime he may have committed, was launched immediately after he revealed his identity as the source of the documents that exposed the U.S. government's far-reaching surveillance programs.

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Hailing Snowden as a "national hero," the petition says he "should be immediately issued a full, free and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs."

On Friday night, it was revealed that U.S. prosecutors had filed a criminal complaint, detailing the charges against Snowden. The whistleblower is accused of espionage, and theft and conversion of government property. Officials have also asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden, and will likely request extradition in the following weeks.

Although the petition has reached 100,000 signatures, it's unclear whether an official will respond.

Historically, the administration has been relatively slow to respond, especially to sensitive petitions. It also has no self-imposed deadline to address petitions that have reached the threshold.

What's more, according to "We the People" guidelines, "to avoid the appearance of improper influence, the White House may decline to address certain procurement, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or similar matters properly within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies, federal courts, or state and local government in its response to a petition."

This exception, however vague, may apply in this case.

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