Profits from ex-SEAL’s book on killing of Bin Laden forfeited to government
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This book cover image released by Dutton shows the book “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden.”
WASHINGTON >> The former Navy SEAL who wrote a book about his role in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden will pay the government more than $6.6 million for violating non-disclosure agreements and publishing without getting the document cleared by the Defense Department, according to federal court documents.
Matt Bissonnette, who wrote “No Easy Day” under the pseudonym Mark Owen, will give the U.S. government all profits and royalties from the book or movie rights. The proceeds already total more than $6.6 million. He will have four years to pay the bulk of that.
The payments were outlined in settlement documents filed in U.S. District Court in Virginia.
According to the settlement, Bissonnette also has 30 days to pay $100,000 from the proceeds of presentations he gave using slides that were not approved by the department.
The book triggered a Justice Department probe, including claims it contained classified material. Bissonnette had signed non-disclosure agreements during his service as a SEAL, and he took part in a number of highly secret operations including the bin Laden raid.
Under the agreement, Bissonnette said he would acknowledge he made a mistake by failing to submit the book for pre-publication review. And in exchange for the payments, the U.S. government has dismissed other liability claims.
Justice Department spokeswoman Nicole Navas said the agreement doesn’t discredit Bissonnette’s military service, but reinforces that service members comply with the non-disclosure documents they sign.
Bissonnette has written a follow-up — also under the name Owen — detailing his journey as a member of SEAL Team Six. That book, “No Hero: the Evolution of a Navy SEAL,” did go through the proper channels and a few sections were redacted.
22 responses to “Profits from ex-SEAL’s book on killing of Bin Laden forfeited to government”
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Should have kept it on hillary’s server……
The “government”, you know – the “we the people, by the people, for the people, of the people” BS.
I have to agree with the government. If you are a Seal, you are a Seal all the way. He knew what he was doing was wrong.
What about crooked Hillary?
“…claims it contained classified material.”
He should have use the pseudonym Clinton.
We all know the government needs all the cash it can get.
Paying the interest alone to the private Federal Reserve instead of making its own money and paying 0% interest costs billions each week.
Can’t wait till the government takes everyone’s retirement savings in the interest of National Security.
Hillary and Barrack get to lie every day since they’ve been on our payroll. Hillary has taken more cash than Carter has pills, and Barrack’s latest lie about paying ransom for the Iranian hostages was just the latest example. His lies go back to the very first weeks in office. Maybe he can get his broke arse down to Louisiana between fundraisers and golf games on Martha’s Vinyard, to try and help those poor folks. Of course if a Republican were in the White House the media would be all over them about it. Anyone remember Katrina? There is no longer any possible doubt that the media is totally in the tank for the progressives, and against Republicans. Democracy is a fragile thing. Our media is shameful in its’ prejudice against conservatives, and protection of the prevaricators, Clinton and Obama. One might imagine a press tha behaved this way in the Soviet Union, or the old days of East Germany, but America? Buckle-up folks. If it’s not homosexual, or racist, or anti-conservative, the American media wants nothing to do with it. They’ve shown their hand, now it’s time to show them the door.
The US is on track to become a modern day Soviet Union minus the violent revolution. The double standard in the progressive media results from arrogance and an ends justify the means mentality so don’t expect any measure of balance in their reporting. They can’t imagine that there are other points of view and will not tolerate competing ideas. One of the progressive movements most effective tools is political correctness. Thus, if you espouse ideas like traditional marriage, the sanctity of life, separate rest rooms for men and women, color and race blindness you are labeled a bigot or somehow mentally unbalanced and not worthy of consideration. Those who worship at the alter of political correctness like democrats are treated differently by the media. So Barry can lie about ransom paid to the Iranian mullahs, Hillary and Bill can lie about anything and everything including classified material and get away with it. While at the same time ordinary americans enjoy no such protection. By the way did Hillary sign any agreements regarding classified material? Anyone who hasn’t read George Orwell’s 1984 should do so because we are living it right now.
the reason why Obama did not show up in Louisiana is because the majority of the people that got flooded out is mostly White.
I sure would like to know how this passed your moderation test.
oh sure. prosecute and take money from someone who is a real hero. but when Hillary does it, the government has nothing to say. unbelievable.
He obviously knows he committed a big mistake. It is very interesting that there are a number of former SEALS who have taken advantage of their status to go public for a profit. Most of them in support of the Chump. I can’t believe that the most elite of our military expect people of average intelligence to take the Chump seriously as commander in chief of the United States just because they say so. Most heroes don’t take advantage of their admirable accomplishments but rather retire to a humble and low key lifestyle. They’re more comfortable being out of the limelight.
The amount seems very unreasonable. The government is very hypocritical. The pick and choose who they want to prosecute or file suit against.
The let Hillary Clinton get away with her crimes After all she is privileged.
It is a disappointment when a Navy SEAL who has passed the highest of physical and psychological tests makes a personal choice in his life. A choice that will obliterate all the positive things that he accomplished in his life. It makes me wonder why? Only he will know and there are 6.6 million reasons why he needs to figure if it was worth it.
non disclosure agreements violations. who would have thought.
nda do not apply to the female felon and her crew of coconspirators, nor do bribery laws.
if only the profits from her money laundering foundation could be turned over to the government as well.
sure justice department turns a blind eye to Hillary and go after an American hero. so f’n ass backwards mentality.
HilLIARy’s “indiscretion” probably resulted in the death of brave Americans and friends of America, while Bissonnette’s “indiscretion” resulted in an increased respect for the sacrifice of the men and women of the military and that is the reason the Lorretta Lynch has to go after Bissonnette and not HilLIARy. It doesn’t fit the narrative of her boss, who wants to demean the military and to weaken America, and he knows that HilLIARy will finish the job that he started.
And Ed Snowden is a hero, not paying any royalties.
We are not talking about Hilliary or Snowden. I think that it would be wise for most of you to move on because it is obvious that he has.
Bissonnette left the Navy after 14 years on active duty, 6 short of being eligible for retirement and full military retiree benefits. I believed at the time that he did so with the intention of capitalizing on his role in the Bin Laden raid with book deals, movie rights and speaking engagements. As I recall, some concern was expressed by his supporters that after all he had done for his country, he could not get the health care military personnel get when they retire. It was as though he was entitled to it for doing his job on Seal Team 6. Well, it appears that his plan backfired.
I was amazed and dismayed to see his book had photo after photo showing the type of weapons United States Navy SEALs use(d), including the night vision goggles and the type of helmet. He talks about how weapons and radios are secured to their uniform and he talks about how many men are in a team when on a mission. Why oh why would you want our enemies to know this? Sure, you can probably find out all of this on the internet…but I honestly never knew about these weapons, tactics, or anything else regarding these people until his highly publicized book was released. And now our enemies know it, too.
Money talks!.