Risen’s work continues to pull back the curtain on national security, surveillance

James Risen’s described as “fearless, relentless, and constantly in search of uncomfortable truths that the government tries to cover up.” As a man on the opposite side of the fence of two administrations, beholden to some of the most important secrets of the last decade and a half, this couldn’t be truer. His own personal story is one as intriguing as any of the New York Times’ columns he’s written. CDT was lucky to welcome James recently to our office to talk about his new book, Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War.

In the build-up to our open conversation and book signing with the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter this week, the weight of the secrets encapsulated by his work were so heavy that few knew what to expect as he first started talking. But James’ quiet, even-keeled and easy-going demeanor seemed to surprise, even more so than some of the insights he shared with the crowd.

That’s not to say the discussion wasn’t fascinating, and slightly chilling. James gave a brief overview of himself and his work, and then pieced through a few of the chapters of Pay Any Price, highlighting specific players and key events like former House Intelligence Committee aide Diane Roarck’s secret note to Mike Sheehy (Democratic staff director of the committee) and memo to Tim Sample (Republican director of the same committee) about uncovering the NSA’s unconstitutional wire-tapping program, and the startlingly different responses she received.

Risen noted that Diane’s story serves as an example for just how difficult it is to be a whistleblower in our environment. “Anyone that thinks Snowden could have done what he did by staying within the system, ‘telling your supervisor,’ is wrong,” he said.

James also discussed the war on terror, and compared the role of media in the government now versus the nature of it just a few decades prior. The “unspoken relationship between government and media” used to come with an understanding that there was a purpose for the press as a “vent for the government,” with the tolerance of anonymous sources providing a type of checks-and-balances between both entities.

“It’s currently a pressure cooker. Obama’s administration’s cracked down so much that whistleblowers feel like they have to go big, push the issue. It’s not a productive relationship.” When asked about a solution to problems like this, he responded, “I’m advocating for a smarter public debate and better method of disclosure from the government about these programs and national security. [And] I’m also arguing for greater proportionality in how the media talks about this.”

Amongst all the discussion about surveillance, secrets and sources, one of Risen’s simplest statements rang the truest, and cut through all else:

“Snowden’s actions helped show the growth and expansion of the NSA’s programs alongside the growth of the digital lives of Americans.”