Is the department he contacted even the correct one to voice concerns about illegal wrongdoings of the NSA or its employees? The text of the email clearly isn’t about that, but it seems to me Snowden/Greenwald figure any email direct at anyone in the NSA is proof of responsible action before whistle-blowing. The email could have been about the selection of snack foods in the vending machines and they would have said, “LOOK HE SENT EMAILS!!!!”