Kushner has security clearance downgraded: reports

by Rebecca Savransky - 02/27/18 3:49 PM ET

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has reportedly had his security clearance downgraded from top secret to secret.

Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, will no longer be able to view top-secret intelligence, according to multiple reports.

Three people with knowledge of the situation shared the news with Politico, which first broke the story.

At the top-secret level, Kushner reportedly had access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded secrets as well as the presidential daily briefing.

{mosads}Sources said a memo was sent last week to Kushner and other White House aides telling them their security clearances would be downgraded from the top secret/SCI level to the secret level.

According to reports, the memo Kushner received was not signed by chief of staff John Kelly.

The White House told The Hill that it does not comment on security clearances, but pointed to Kelly’s statement on the matter from last week.

“I will not comment on anybody’s specific security clearance situation or go beyond the memo released last week,” Kelly said.

“As I told Jared days ago, I have full confidence in his ability to continue performing his duties in his foreign policy portfolio including overseeing our Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and serving as an integral part of our relationship with Mexico,” he continued. “Everyone in the White House is grateful for these valuable contributions to furthering the president’s agenda. There is no truth to any suggestion otherwise.”

Kelly announced earlier this month that the White House would review the administration’s handling of temporary security clearances. The move was meant to address concerns raised after it was reported that former staff secretary Rob Porter had a temporary security clearance despite his background check revealing allegations of domestic abuse.

The chief of staff later released a five-page memo listing a handful of changes the White House has made and will make to tighten up access to classified information, including limiting new interim clearances and cutting off certain clearances for those whose investigations have been pending since June.

The White House assured earlier this month that Kushner, who had a temporary clearance, would not be affected by the review.

But the White House and Kushner faced mounting criticism over his security clearance, especially after The Washington Post reported that he requested more intelligence information than almost every other White House official. The president’s son-in-law was also under scrutiny for updating his security clearance forms a handful of times since Trump’s inauguration, including adding a number of foreign contacts that weren’t previously listed.

Kushner reportedly resisted giving up his security clearance. Sources told The New York Times last week that Kushner was hesitant to relinquish his access to classified information.

His reluctance put him further at odds with Kelly, who has reportedly clashed with Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump in the White House.

Updated at 4:50 p.m.

Tags Donald Trump Ivanka Trump Jared Kushner John Kelly