Treason

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.

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

List of known traitors

 * 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 . 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 -
 * Ellen Dowski - Ensign in the UNSC Navy. She was assigned to the bridge crew of the 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 remained at large as of 2558.
 * 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.
 * Nizat 'Kvarosee -
 * Hector Nyeto -
 * Sali 'Nyon -
 * Rudolf Schein -
 * Vladimir Scruggs - A SPARTAN-IV. He defected to the New Colonial Alliance at some unknown point, although he did not personally consider himself to be an Insurrectionist. In 2558, during the Battle of Ealen IV, he murdered his fellow members of Fireteam Jackknife and took Lord Hood hostage. He was subsequently killed in hand-to-hand combat with Sarah Palmer.
 * Murok 'Vadam - Member of the House of 'Vadam. He betrayed the Swords of Sanghelios in 2558 by providing Jul 'Mdama's Covenant with information about the location of the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. After his treason was discovered by Mahlo 'Turagg, he was executed by the Arbiter.
 * Robert Watts - Colonel in the UNSC Marine Corps. After becoming disillusioned with the policies of the UEG during his frontline service, he defected from the UNSC in the late 2480s. He emerged as a rebel leader in the Eridanus system, eventually forming the United Rebel Front and leading it in a guerilla war against the Colonial Military Administration. Watts was captured by SPARTAN-II commandos during Operation: TALON in 2525 and was imprisoned by the Office of Naval Intelligence.
 * Ilsa Zane - A SPARTAN-IV. The only survivor of the first phase of the SPARTAN-IV program, she was left mentally unstable and subsequently defected to the New Colonial Alliance. In January of 2553 she led an attack on the UNSC Infinity, which was then under construction in the Oort cloud. The attack ultimately failed. Later, she became the leader of a NCA band on Conrad's Point. She was last seen battling UNSC forces during a Guardian incident on Laika III.