Following Edward Snowden's interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams that aired Wednesday, the National Security Agency released an email Thursday that was sent from Snowden to the agency's general counsel's office in which he reported the agency's abuse of power.

The former NSA contractor, who leaked classified information to the press, told Williams he had emailed the counsel's office to report unlawful surveillance activities within the agency prior to the whistle blowing, CNN reported.

"I reported that there were real problems with the way the NSA was interpreting its legal authorities," Snowden said in his interview.

Snowden had asked if executive orders could override federal laws. The general counsel's office replied to Snowden's email, which stated executive orders have the "force and effect of law" but not the power to override a statute.

Snowden insisted that he was told to "stop asking questions" prior to his inquiries. He said he had tried to raise concerns with the proper authorities before leaking the information, according to CNN.

However, the NSA responded to Snowden's claims in an issued statement that said he had only sent the one email and did not follow up at all.

"We have searched for additional indications of outreach from him in those areas and to date have not discovered any engagements related to his claims," the statement read.

In an interview with The Washington Post on Thursday, Snowden called the NSA's email exchange "a strangely tailored and incomplete leak." He added that the NSA is still not entirely forthcoming with its information and "has something to hide."

Snowden also urged the White House and the NSA to ask his former coworkers whether or not he continued to raise concerns about the NSA's surveillance methods.

"If the White House is interested in the whole truth, rather than the NSA's clearly tailored and incomplete leak today for a political advantage, it will require the NSA to ask my former colleagues, management and the senior leadership team about whether I, at any time, raised concerns about the NSA's improper and at times unconstitutional surveillance activities," Snowden said. "It will not take long to receive an answer."