re: #391 RealityBasedSteve

From the point of view of a rule-bound bureaucracy (which the NSA is), lumping laws and executive orders into the same category makes perfect sense. They are both external directives from on high that the agency’s own rule-making needs to be consistent with.

In case of a real or perceived conflict between law and executive order, there are procedures in place for dealing with this. Said procedures doubtless rely on securing legal opinions as to whether or not there is a conflict and what to do about it if there is a real conflict.

Procedures for dealing with a conflict between executive orders and laws conspicuously do not feature an IT contractor making a determination that following the executive order violates the law and going off to Russia and China with a mountain of stolen documents.