Edward Snowden told Brian that the American government is refusing him a fair trial.
Here to explain Snowden's claim: Steve Vladeck,a professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law who focuses on federal jurisdiction, constitutional law, and national security law.
Vladeck said the whistleblower statutes are "a genuine smorgasbord" of different laws,and they accomplish very petite to protect someone in Snowden's situation.
It's been noted that Snowden's only options were to travel to either the inspector general of his agency or to the congressional oversight committee; but both groups have stated that had Snowden went to them, they would have done nothing with his information.
So legally, and Snowden didn't follow the letter of the whistleblower laws,particularly because they wouldn't have accomplished much in his case.
Source: wnyc.org