Trump Ordered Security Clearance For Son-In-Law Despite Serious Concerns By Intelligence Officials

Jared Kushner

The New York Times is reporting that Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff to issue his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, a top-secret security clearance last year.

At the time, intelligence officials and the White House’s top lawyer had expressed serious concerns about granting Kushner the security clearance.

Mr. Trump’s decision in May so troubled senior administration officials that at least one, the White House chief of staff at the time, John F. Kelly, wrote a contemporaneous internal memo about how he had been “ordered” to give Mr. Kushner the top-secret clearance.

The White House counsel at the time, Donald F. McGahn II, also wrote an internal memo outlining the concerns that had been raised about Mr. Kushner — including by the C.I.A. — and how Mr. McGahn had recommended that he not be given a top-secret clearance.

The disclosure of the memos contradicts statements made by the president, who told The New York Times in January in an Oval Office interview that he had no role in his son-in-law receiving his clearance.

The Times goes on to acknowledge the president's legal authority to grant security clearances. But generally, the White House’s personnel security office decides the issue after proper background checks by the FBI.

In the case of a question, the White House counsel makes the decision. Only in rare instances does the president step in and grant the clearance himself.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump have both publicly stated that the Donald had no involvement in the approval of their security clearances.

The Washington Post found six incidents where Trump denied being involved.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is demanding W.H. Counsel be in "full and immediate compliance" with his committee's request for documents and witness interviews in light of the Times report that Trump intervened to get Jared Kushner his security clearance.

Politico is reporting that White House advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News today regarding the report that, “The president has the absolute right to do what was described.”

What we know: intelligence officials and White House staff had grave concerns over Jared Kushner's security clearance.

What we don't know: Why. (Plenty of informed speculation)

What we know: President Trump didn't care.

What we don't know: What it means for national security.

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) March 1, 2019

People who have never worked in government may not understand what a big deal this Kushner story is. Aside from the security risk and the lies, it is such an insult to every public servant who jumps through a million hoops to do things the right way with zero margin for error.

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 28, 2019

Trump overruled even the CIA to grant Jared Kushner security clearance! NYT notes: "An internal memo outlining the concerns that had been raised about Mr. Kushner -including by the C.I.A.-and how Mr. McGahn had recommended that he not be given a top-secret clearance" #FireKushner

— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) March 1, 2019

Everyone is focused on #Kushner's foreign contacts regarding his #securityclearance. During the transition he tried to create a BACKCHANNEL communication system directly to the Kremlin to subvert our own Intelligence Community. That, right there, is a counterintelligence concern.

— Andrew P. Bakaj (@AndrewBakaj) March 1, 2019