THE US is attempting to sue former CIA employee and National Security Agency (NSA) contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden over the publishing of his memoirs this week.

The Justice Department alleges that Mr Snowden published his book, Permanent Record, without “submitting it to the agencies for pre-publication review, in violation of his express obligations under the agreement he signed.”

The department said in a statement yesterday that the lawsuit “does not seek to stop or restrict the publication or distribution of Permanent Record. Rather … the government seeks to recover all proceeds earned by Snowden.”