House Dem: Kushner should be ‘completely sidelined’ from classified material

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Tuesday he believes White House senior adviser Jared Kushner can remain in his role at the White House, but should no longer have access to any classified information after his security clearance was downgraded.

“I think he should be completely sidelined from any classified information,” Swalwell said on CNN.

“I think he can stay at the White House. It’s the president’s prerogative to have his people working there. But I don’t think he should handle classified information, and I don’t think any Republican would allow a Democrat, or would stand quiet if a Democrat was in this position, nor should they,” he continued.

{mosads}Kushner had his security clearance downgraded from top secret to secret late last week, meaning he will no longer be able to view top-secret intelligence, according to multiple reports.

Swalwell called it “appalling” that the White House has taken so long to address questions over interim security clearances, given the Trump campaign’s frequent attacks that Hillary Clinton used a private email server to handle classified information.

The Washington Post also reported Tuesday that foreign officials have discussed how to use Kushner’s business interests and lack of foreign policy experience to their advantage.

Kushner handles a broad range of responsibilities in the Trump administration, including negotiating Middle East peace.