The congressional panel’s conclusion will likely reinforce calls for the granting of clemency to Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who brought bulk collection and other surveillance programs to light. At a public event on Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder continued to rule out clemency for Snowden. Holder said he is only open to discussing a plea deal if Snowden returns home and pleads guilty.

Eric Holder: “The notion of clemency was not something that we were willing to consider. But as I said, were he to come back to the United States, enter a plea, we would engage with his lawyers.”

Interviewer: “And presumably that would be a guilty plea to something.”

Eric Holder: “Yeah.”

In an online chat on Thursday, Snowden said he would consider returning to the United States if the government reformed its whistleblower protection laws, which failed to cover him as a private contractor. Referring to his concerns about mass surveillance, Snowden said: “It’s not good for our country, it’s not good for the world, and I wasn’t going to stand by and watch it happen, no matter how much it cost me.”