Nine White House officials of interest in Dem security clearance probe
By Brett Samuels - 04/01/19 05:20 PM EDT
Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee are zeroing in on a handful of current and former officials in President Trump's White House as part of their investigation into the administration's security clearance practices.
Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) has ramped up the probe in recent weeks, accusing the White House of stonewalling his efforts to obtain additional documentation and information about the process.
He released a memo Monday detailing allegations raised by White House staffer Tricia Newbold, who has worked as a career official in the Executive Office of the President for 18 years.
Newbold told committee staff last month that she and other career staffers denied applications for multiple security clearances, decisions that were later overturned by senior officials in order to allow those individuals to access classified material.
The list of individuals whose clearances were granted despite initial denials totaled 25, according to Newbold.
While Cummings did not identify the 25 people in Monday's memo, here are nine current and former officials the committee has prioritized as part of its investigation into White House security clearances.
John Bolton
Democrats are seeking additional information on Bolton's security clearance, a subject party members aired concerns about when the national security adviser joined the Trump administration last spring.
The president picked Bolton in March 2018 to replace H.R. McMaster, and he has become a key voice on the administration's strategy in North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.
Bolton worked in the State Department and Justice Department under previous Republican presidents, but Democrats seized on a more recent interaction with Russian nationals in questioning his clearance bonafides.
Bolton appeared in a video for the Russian gun rights group The Right to Bear Arms in 2013. The group was established by Russian politician Alexander Torshin, a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Cummings, who at the time was ranking member of the Oversight committee, sought details upon Bolton's appointment over whether he had reported his previous work with the group.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) suggested last year that Bolton's contacts with the group could impede his ability to receive a clearance.
Jared Kushner
more
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/436801-nine-white-house-officials-of-interest-in-dem-security-clearance-probe
