AT&T says Cooperation with NSA could be Legal

AT&T SAYS COOPERATION WITH NSA COULD BE LEGAL
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com 8/22, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
James Cicconi, AT&T's senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs, offered a glimpse into how a company could be required to cooperate with a federal entity such as the National Security Agency. He said there are "very specific federal statutes that prescribe means, in black and white law, for provision of information to the government under certain circumstances." "We have stringently complied with those laws," Cicconi said. "It's pretty obvious, you know, as far as the court case is going, that they've not reached a different conclusion." AT&T has neither confirmed nor denied that it has cooperated with the NSA. Cicconi's remarks seem to indicate that AT&T received formal authorization from the U.S. Department of Justice to authorize the program. The existence of such a letter has never been confirmed. If a letter of certification exists, AT&T could be off the hook in its lawsuits. Federal law says that a "good faith" reliance on a letter of certification "is a complete defense to any civil or criminal" lawsuit.
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