Trump Administration Overrules 25 Security Clearance Denials - Congressman
US President Donald Trump's administration has allegedly issued security clearances to more than two dozen individuals despite recommendations to deny their applications, House of Representatives Oversight Committee Elijah Cummings said in a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Monday
"We have now conducted a detailed, on-the-record interview with a whistleblower who currently works at the White House," the letter said. "Her name is Tricia Newbold, and she has come forward at great personal risk to warn Congress - and the nation - about the grave security risks she has been witnessing first-hand over the past two years."
Newbold told Congress that approximately 25 individuals who were granted security clearances or eligibility to access national security information following earlier recommendations to deny their applications, the letter said.
Cummings noted that in light of what he describes as "grave reports" from Newbold, the House Oversight Committee plans to authorize subpoenas starting on Tuesday.
The first individual to receive a subpoena for a deposition will be Carl Kline, who served as the personnel security director at the White House during the first two years of the Trump Administration and who now works at the Defense Department, according to the letter.
On March 8, four Democratic US Senators urged National Intelligence Director Dan Coats and Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkins to conduct a review of White House security clearance procedures after media reports raised concerns over potential misuse within the Trump administration.
On February 28, media reported that President Donald Trump ordered senior White House officials to grant top-level security clearance to his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner despite concerns raised by the intelligence community and White House counsel. Trump previously denied any personal involvement in securing Kushner's clearance, according to media reports.