Trump Not Focusing on Pardon, Deal With Regard to Snowden at Present - Spokesman

President-elect Donald Trump has not given any thought to making a deal with Russia to return whistleblower Edward Snowden to the United States, or to granting the whistleblower a pardon, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters during a phone call on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — When asked about the possibility of a deal or pardon involving Snowden, Spicer answered, "I think he [Trump] is less focused on pardons and deals like that right now and more focused on jobs and economic growth."

Spicer continued, "I’m sure there will be time for that discussion down the road."

Earlier on Wednesday, Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said he is hopeful the incoming Trump administration will allow legal experts and lawyers to review the case, and conclude Snowden's activities did not constitute a crime.

Snowden, a former US National Security Agency contractor, sought refuge in Russia in 2013 after fleeing the United States to evade espionage charges for exposing the NSA’s mass surveillance practices in the United States and abroad.

Snowden faces up to 30 years in prison on three counts if he comes back to the United States, something he has not been ready to do for fear the US government will not guarantee him a fair trial.