# Navy SEAL Writes Book - Small Fine Levied



## Centermass (Aug 20, 2016)

The former Navy SEAL who wrote a book about his role in the raid that killed Usama 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.

Link

Always wondered when something like this would happen. Something tells me there may be more.


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## Gunz (Aug 20, 2016)

I put a link up on the military forum earlier today to the Navy Times article, but it's probably better for discussion down here.

Yeah there are certainly a few others who've been profiting. Not much point in having a non-disclosure clause if there aren't consequences for violating. Maybe this will slow the trend.


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## Muppet (Aug 21, 2016)

That escalated quickly...

M.


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## Salt USMC (Aug 21, 2016)

More like "No Easy Payday"


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## Marauder06 (Aug 21, 2016)

Deathy McDeath said:


> More like "No Easy Payday"



Totally stealing that headline.


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## AWP (Aug 21, 2016)

Deathy McDeath said:


> More like "No Easy Payday"



Today, sir, the Internet is yours. Not this forum mind you, but the rest.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Aug 22, 2016)

So that NDA means something...only for military personnel mind you. Because @lindy is not here to post Hillary Clinton stuff...


But glad the dude got a kick in the dick, maybe it will stop the Hollywood side of SOF...Well until the next war.


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## Brill (Aug 22, 2016)

Does anyone know or suspect what part of the NDA he violated? I've read that the Pentagon dropped the case that the disclosed classified information.

Wonder how this ranks with Zero Dark Thirty and the access the director/writer were given.

Finally, where does the money go? The USG general fund, the VA, GSA team building fund, etc?


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## Marauder06 (Aug 22, 2016)

lindy said:


> Does anyone know or suspect what part of the NDA he violated? ...




All of it?

Not sure if theirs was a unit-specific NDA or a standard one.


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## Ooh-Rah (Aug 22, 2016)

*Serious question - *
For a mission like this, I have to wonder if they had to sign an additional NDA before they were brought into the loop?  Kinda of like  "we know you already signed this, but you are signing this one to know that we will have your ass if you talk..."

*Serious question 2:*
Had Bissonnette followed the rules, would his book have even been given the green light to be published?


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## DasBoot (Aug 22, 2016)

Ooh-Rah said:


> *Serious question - *
> For a mission like this, I have to wonder if they had to sign an additional NDA before they were brought into the loop?  Kinda of like  "we know you already signed this, but you are signing this one to know that we will have your ass if you talk..."
> 
> *Serious question 2:*
> Had Bissonnette followed the rules, would his book have even been given the green light to be published?


The second book was and it seems he is keeping all funds from that one. I imagine that he wrote that as a safety net for when the DOD came knocking for the first book.


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## SpongeBob*24 (Aug 22, 2016)

The book has made $6.6 M, he is charged $6.6 M and has to pay it back over 4 years....

This would be my payback plan:

I'm taking $1 M and going to Ibiza! 
When and if I wake up, figure out the rest.....


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## DA SWO (Aug 22, 2016)

SpongeBob*24 said:


> The book has made $6.6 M, he is charged $6.6 M and has to pay it back over 4 years....
> 
> This would be my payback plan:
> 
> ...


His 6.6 mil makes money over the next 4 years.
i.e. minimum payments then a large fucking check at the end, guess he'll have to redo his taxes too to reflect the loss.


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## Teufel (Aug 22, 2016)




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## Centermass (Aug 22, 2016)

DA SWO said:


> His 6.6 mil makes money over the next 4 years.
> i.e. minimum payments then a large fucking check at the end, guess he'll have to redo his taxes too to reflect the loss.



He still banks a mil and change, if the interest rate remains at 4%.


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## Brill (Aug 22, 2016)

Marauder06 said:


> All of it?
> 
> Not sure if theirs was a unit-specific NDA or a standard one.



Not doubting but openly wondering why DOD dropped the case against him for disclosing classified info?


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## Centermass (Aug 22, 2016)

lindy said:


> Not doubting but openly wondering why DOD dropped the case against him for disclosing classified info?


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## Kraut783 (Aug 22, 2016)

lindy said:


> Finally, where does the money go? The USG general fund, the VA, GSA team building fund, etc?



Clinton Foundation    :-"


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## Marauder06 (Aug 23, 2016)

lindy said:


> Not doubting but openly wondering why DOD dropped the case against him for disclosing classified info?



Most likely because of rules of discovery during trial.  To prove their case they would have to point out what was classified, and then explain why it's classified, thereby publicly confirming the compromise, and in fact making it worse.  That's why most people who write books that disclose classified info never get prosecuted for it.

It's kind of an irony of the intel world:  sell government secrets to someone else, even an allied country (who is going to keep it to themselves) for a few thousand dollars = jail.  Write a book and tell those same secrets to the whole world = fame and fortune.  

...or a multimillion dollar fine   But hey at least everyone knows you're the one who shot Bin Laden!


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## compforce (Aug 23, 2016)

Centermass said:


> He still banks a mil and change, if the interest rate remains at 4%.



That kind of money gets premium interest rates, maybe as much as 6-7% in a bank.  Actually though, he should expect between 10-12% gains with conservative investment.  He'll be just fine.


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## Gunz (Aug 23, 2016)

This all started when everybody in uniform became an automatic Hero. The MACV-SOG guys never wrote tell-all books because, given the atmosphere BITD, they probably would've been prosecuted on trumped-up war crimes charges.  And maybe they took their oath of secrecy seriously.

Boy, Rob Riggle had it nailed, didn't he?


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## AWP (Aug 23, 2016)

I chuckle when I see the thread's title. "Small fine"...L to the O to the L.


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## Etype (Aug 23, 2016)

lindy said:


> Does anyone know or suspect what part of the NDA he violated?


The part where you're not supposed to talk about the stuff.


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## Brill (Aug 23, 2016)

Etype said:


> The part where you're not supposed to talk about the stuff.



Only pertains to classified info and if DOD dropped the case, was there any disclosure?


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## Etype (Aug 23, 2016)

lindy said:


> Only pertains to classified info and if DOD dropped the case, was there any disclosure?


Hellifiknow.


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## Gunz (Aug 23, 2016)

DoD dropped the case after lengthy legal wrangling by Bisonette's lawyers. The Obama administration was taking heat for trying to prosecute a "hero"...and for administration officials themselves leaking a lot of the info about the Bin Laden raid before the book was published. Panetta, the CIA director even wrote a book. So the whole case against Bisonette was worked out in a legal settlement, the result of which is outlined in the OP. His lawyers could point out a number of officials who were publicly "crowing" about the raid so there was potential for embarrassment if the Bisonette prosecution was pursued.

Btw, I find it interesting that Bisonette disputes O'Neil's claim that O'Neil fired the fatal shots into UBL, saying an unnamed 3rd SEAL was the killer. This is almost funny...


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