The problem with this sort of reward is that at most, $20K buys a few toys versus an ended career. If you really want to get someone to take significant risks, the payout needs to be enough to retire, or at least change career.
Definitely. $20K is chicken s**t, considering that crossing the Clintons easily could mean losing your life. It has to be enough to finance disappearing forever and starting a new life.
In the movie Snowden, it’s clear that it’s not about the money. Snowden simply got tired of living his cushy life in Hawaii while he watched the ethics of hacking blown apart. He ultimately refused to be a player in a world without ethical boundaries.
Wikileaks exists on donations and volunteerism, they also have a shop with tee shirts etc.