> Clinton said that Edward Snowden could have gotten all the protections of being a whistleblower." A key 1998 law focused on intelligence community workers does lay out a pathway Snowden could have followed. However, there is at least a significant legal debate over whether the issues Snowden wanted to raise would fall under that law.

> Additionally, legal experts including an Army inspector general have said that the 1998 law does not protect whistleblowers from reprisals.

> The protections that Clinton referenced do not seem to be as strong as she suggested, and most of the expert opinion suggests they would not apply to Snowden.

> We rate this claim Mostly False.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/...

If you read the article, you would know that he wasn't protected under existing whistlyblower laws, and in fact makes reference to three others who specifically were unduly reprised, punished and proscecuted...