Treason

There is more information available on this subject at Treason on the English Wikipedia.

Treason is a legal concept referring to the betrayal of a state authority to which one owes allegiance. It especially refers to such betrayal as through making war on the state, giving aid to the enemies of the state, or attacking the head of state. Persons who defect from one state to another may also be considered guilty of treason. Sedition, the inciting of civil unrest or insurrection, is also frequently considered treasonous. Colloquially, treason is often used for any perceived act of disloyalty or betrayal. A person who commits treason is known as a traitor.

Treason is a crime within the Unified Earth Government and United Nations Space Command. Commiting treason during wartime is a capital offence. Major Standish claimed that the penalty is permanent induced coma, with the injection publicly broadcast. According to JAG 845-P and JAG 7556-L, violation of the Cole Protocol is treason and is punishable by life imprisonment or execution. Violation of the confidentiality of certain ONI transmissions is also considered an act of treason and is punishable by death.

The group Sapien Sunrise considered UEG officials who negotiated with the Sangheili to be traitors to the human race.

The idea of treason is present within Sangheili culture. It is punishable by death. While the High Prophet of Truth expelled the entire Sangheili species during the Great Schism, a few Ossoona had committed actions deemed "traitorous" by other exiled Sangheili and were branded as such by the keep.

An analogous concept to treason within the Covenant is that of heresy.

List of known traitors

• James Ackerson - Colonel in the UNSC Army. In 2552, he attempted to kill Spartan John-117 during a field exercise on Reach. During the exercise, he exceeded testing parameters by employing Lotus anti-tank mines, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, 30mm chain-guns, and a SkyHawk airstrike. Ultimately, the Spartan survived. Ackerson's acts likely constituted treason; however, due to his importance in the UNSC war effort, he was never prosecuted.
• Chen Bax - Scientist and ONI civilian contractor. Late in the Human-Covenant War he became disillusioned with ONI and the UNSC, believing that they no longer represented humanity's best interests. Consequently he stole classified technology, but before he could be apprehended he was believed to have been killed during the Fall of Reach. However, ONI later discovered that this was not the case and tasked Linda-058 with eliminating him. He was found to be living on Sephune III along with other survivors of the Fall of Reach. He died while activating the self-destruct of the UNSC Promise of Dawn in order to protect the other survivors from Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.
• Daniel Clayton - Captain in the UNSC Navy and illegitimate son of James Cutter. Following the revelation that Lord Hood had been supporting his career and therefore feeling he had accomplished nothing for himself, Clayton defected to the New Colonial Alliance in 2558. Subsequently, he was involved in an attempt on Hood's life. Following the failure of this attempt, Clayton next tried to ambush and destroy the UNSC Infinity. This attempt too failed, and Clayton was captured and incarcerated.
• Michael Crespo - An Orbital Drop Shock Trooper and later a SPARTAN-IV. As a member of Alpha-Nine, he became disillusioned with fighting Insurrectionists following the Human-Covenant War. While training as a SPARTAN-IV, he was influenced by the politics of fellow trainee Rudolf Schein. Following Schein's defection and death, Crespo covertly joined the United Rebel Front. Crespo's treachery would be revealed during a mission to Talitsa in 2555, and he was subsequently incarcerated for his crimes. However, he would later be released to fight in the Created conflict.
• Salus 'Crolon - An Ussans Refugee. He began to doubt the leadership of Ussa 'Xellus and together with 'Drem plotted a rebellion. After their plot was discovered, 'Crolon was arrested. However, he soon escaped imprisonment and defected to the Covenant. While leading Covenant troops against the Ussans, he became surrounded and was killed.
• Ellen Dowski - Ensign in the UNSC Navy. She was assigned to the bridge crew of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn in 2552. During the Battle of Installation 04, she was defeatist, suggesting that the crew should surrender to the Covenant. After being taken prisoner by the Covenant, she betrayed the UNSC by volunteering information to her captors, including the identity of her commanding officer. She was later killed out of hand by the Covenant.
• Mattius Drake - Admiral in the UNSC Navy. He secretly led the New Colonial Alliance by 2553. His treachery was discovered by the UNSC after the capture of NCA insurgents following their raid on the UNSC Infinity. He was killed in 2559 by Ilsa Zane who then pledged both the NCA and Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group to the Banished.
• Harper Garvin - Major General in the UNSC Marine Corps. After receiving a humbling assignment to the Corbulo Academy of Military Science, he defected to the United Rebel Front and soon rose to a position of leadership within its High Command. In 2526, Garvin attempted to form a truce with the Covenant in exchange for intelligence about the UNSC. He was captured by the UNSC at the Battle of Seoba but was subsequently set free by Tel 'Szatulai.
• Benjamin Giraud - Journalist and ONI civilian contractor. In 2558 he was commissioned to produce a piece on John-117, the Master Chief. During his investigations he began to uncover the truth about John's origins. After he attempted to publicize his findings on ECB News, he was arrested by UEG agents for treason and was incarcerated in ONI's Midnight Facility.
• Catherine Halsey - Scientist and ONI civilian contractor. During the final days of the Human-Covenant War, she kidnapped Spartan Kelly-087 and fled to Onyx with the intention of leading all the remaining Spartans to safety. Following her recovery by UNSC forces from