Rep. John Lewis says Snowden, like Gandhi, was appealing to a 'higher law.' | AP Photos Lewis compares Snowden, Gandhi

Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis, a prominent civil rights leader, compared National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden to Gandhi and said that Snowden was appealing to a “higher law.”

In an interview with The Guardian published Wednesday, Lewis was asked if Snowden’s leak was civil disobedience.


“In keeping with the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence, in keeping with the teaching of Henry David Thoreau and people like Gandhi and others, if you believe something that is not right, something is unjust, and you are willing to defy customs, traditions, bad laws, then you have a conscience,” he responded. “You have a right to defy those laws and be willing to pay the price.”

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Lewis’s comments are similar to those made by Sen. Rand Paul in June, who compared Snowden to Martin Luther King Jr. and called the NSA leaker a “civil disobedient.” Paul’s comments drew strong criticism from New York Rep. Peter King, who called Paul’s comparison “madness.” Told that many in Washington believe Snowden is a criminal, Lewis said Snowden was appealing to a “higher law.”

“Some people say criminality or treason or whatever,” Lewis said. “He could say he was acting because he was appealing to a higher law. Many of us have some real, real, problems with how the government has been spying on people.”

Later on Wednesday, Lewis walked back his comments, saying The Guardian interview was “misleading.”

“News reports about my interview with The Guardian are misleading, and they do not reflect my complete opinion. Let me be clear. I do not agree with what Mr. Snowden did. He has damaged American international relations and compromised our national security. He leaked classified information and may have jeopardized human lives. That must be condemned,” Lewis said in a statement.

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Lewis said he never praised Snowden or compared him to Gandhi or other civil rights leaders.

“In fact, The Guardian itself agreed to retract the word ‘praise’ from its headline,” Lewis said.

“I cannot say and I did not say that what Mr. Snowden did is right. Others will be the judge of that,” he continued.

Paul Lewis, The Guardian reporter who wrote the original story, said on Twitter on Thursday that Lewis did not have an issue with The Guardian’s report.

@jayrosen_nyu His office told me they have no complaint about the article itself. I quoted everything he said on the subject, verbatim. — Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) August 8, 2013