Go after the person who actually removed the security classification, and then, as his defense, he may claim he was “under orders”, and failure to comply threatened his continued livelihood.
This gives a direct shot at the “unindicted co-conspirator”.
An unindicted co-conspirator is a person who is identified by a law enforcement officer to have engaged in a conspiracy, but who is not charged in the indictment charging that person’s fellow conspirators. The term unindicted co-conspirator was familiarized in 1974.
The publicity alone is often enough to force out the unindicted co-conspirator, or at least destroy any moral authority they may claim.
Actually, the order itself is a felony, if I understand the law correctly.
Whether it was followed or not is immaterial.
he may claim he was "under orders", and failure to comply threatened his continued livelihood.
If by "continued livelihood", you mean "continued capacity to breathe", it is undoubtedly true that he would have been terminated.