mark-owen

The Intercept: Navy SEAL Kept Trophy Photo of Osama bin Laden’s Corpse on His Hard Drive

J.K. Trotter · 01/19/16 11:10AM

Remember Matthew Bissonnette (a.k.a. “Mark Owen”), the former Navy SEAL who helped find and kill Osama bin Laden, later wrote a book about it, and eventually came under federal investigation for allegedly mishandling classified material? Bissonnette’s increasingly complex legal ordeal initially involved the Department of Justice and U.S. Navy before it was handed over to the latter’s internal police force, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, in the summer of 2014. The N.C.I.S. probe quickly threw the small community of elite military members into chaos. SOFREP, a website catering to that community, reported at the time: “The investigation has created a massive stir among the SEAL community. Rumors and accusations are flying on social media forums, lines in the sand have been drawn and friendships have ended.”

Pentagon Finds Gossipy Navy SEAL Author in Breach of Non-Disclosure Agreements, Considers Pressing Charges

Taylor Berman · 08/30/12 08:17PM

Obama critic and former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette might be in a bit of trouble with his old bosses for writing No Easy Day, which includes a detailed account of the bin Laden killing. According Jeh Johnson, the general counsel of the Defense Department, Bissonette signed non-disclosure agrements with the Navy in 2007 that said he could "never divulge" classified information, which, apparently includes writing books about top secret missions. Johnson said the Pentagon is looking into "all remedies legally available to us."