President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, has lost access to top-secret information after his security clearance was downgraded. This will prevent him from viewing many of the sensitive documents to which he once had unfettered access.
Kushner was notified of the downgrade in a memo on Friday, along with other White House aides who had access to the highest-level interim clearances, Politico and others reported on Tuesday.
Kushner’s security clearance was reduced to secret, restricting what intelligence reports and sensitive information he is allowed to see. That could inhibit his work on an extensive portfolio in the White House that includes the Middle East, China and relations with Mexico.
John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, declined to confirm the action in Kushner’s case. He said on Tuesday that he had “full confidence” in Kushner’s “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.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to comment on Kushner’s clearance status at a briefing Tuesday. “We actually haven’t commented on Jared’s issue indicated, but we have commented on his ability to do his job. Which, he’s a valued member of the team and he will continue to do the important work that he’s been doing since he’s started in the administration.”
The president has the ability to grant Kushner a permanent clearance, but Trump said Friday — the same day the memo was sent — that he was leaving the decision to his chief of staff.
“I will let General Kelly make that decision,” Trump told reporters. “I have no doubt he’ll make the right decision.”
Kushner’s attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement that Kushner “has done more than what is expected of him in this process.”
Lowell added that the changes would “not affect Mr. Kushner’s ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the president.”
>Juthy Saha
Kushner Loses Access to Top-Secret Intelligence
