原法律沒有，1950年加進去的（第793節）。這是793（e）節的全文：

Whoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it.

美國歷史上沒有外國雇主而被此法起訴的有：

1973年 Anthony Russo 和 Daniel Ellsberg 因把五角大樓關于越戰的文件交給紐約時報而被起訴間諜罪。

1985年 Samuel Loring Morison 因把衛星照片賣給簡氏防衛周刊而被起訴間諜罪。

2005年 Franklin, Rosen, 和 Weissman 把假的暗殺以色列人的消息透露給媒體。他們的罪狀如下：

    Count One - Conspiracy to communicate national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, 18 U.S.C. § 793(d), 793(e), & 793(g) [2]

    Counts Two, Three, & Four - Communication of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) [2]

    Count Five - Conspiracy to communicate classified information to agent of foreign government, 50 U.S.C. § 783 and 18 U.S.C. § 371 [2]

2010年： Thomas Andrews Drake 被以下罪名起訴：

    Willful Retention of National Defense Information 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) (5 counts)
   
    Obstructing justice 18 U.S.C. § 1519 (1 count)

    Making a False Statement 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a) (4 counts)