Reply #30: Bush broke the law because he is not authorized to reveal an

[carolinalady]

undercover agent. That is the law. His executive orders can not supercede this law.

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode50/usc_sec_50_00000421----000-.html

From another blog: an explanation:

Almost anything can be declassified by the president, or the head of the agency overseeing the particular information. But any classified information covered by statute does not fall under the allowance for declassification . The 1982 law, From the US Code in National Security, See: USC § 421 makes it illegal per statute for a covert agent's identity to be declassified by anyone up to and including the president unless the agent does so on their own volition. And even the covert agent must be given permission to do so.
So when you read Sec. 6.2 "General Provision" in EO 13929 -- that provision makes it absolutely clear that "Nothing in this order shall supersede any requirement made by or under the National Security Act of 1947, as amended." So the US Code; Section 421 cannot be superseded by EO 13929.

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/26764