Navy Seal who wrote a book about the killing of Bin Laden must pay US Govt $6.6 million
A former Navy SEAL who wrote a book about his role in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden must pay the US government more than $6.6 million.
Bessonnette: Killing of Bin Laden
The whopping sum is for violating non-disclosure agreements and publishing without getting the document cleared by the Defense Department, according to federal court documents, Bloomberg reports.
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, said Bloomberg, 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 admits 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 — telling his story as a member of SEAL Team Six.
That book, "No Hero: the Evolution of a Navy SEAL," did go through the proper channels, says Bloomberg, and a few sections were redacted.