Meet the Next NSA Top Lawyer

Following up on our stories earlier this week about the legal vacancy at the National Security Agency, Mark Hosenball at Newsweek finds that the Justice Department is sending some relief to Fort Meade.

Declassified has learned that the Obama administration has now asked a career Justice Department lawyer, Matthew Olsen, to become NSA’s new general counsel, and that he has accepted the post. An official familiar with the appointment, requesting anonymity when discussing sensitive information, says Olsen won’t actually move into the position until security checks are completed, a process that could take a few weeks.

Olson, Hosenball adds, has experience in surveillance law at the Justice Department’s National Security Division.