Dems call for criminal probe into Kushner’s security clearance

Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu (Calif.) and Don Beyer (Va.) are calling for a criminal investigation into senior White House adviser Jared Kushner’s security clearance, following multiple news reports that President Trump ordered a top-secret clearance for his son-in-law despite concerns from intelligence officials.

“We are deeply disturbed by recent reports that President Trump ordered his Chief of Staff, John Kelly, to grant Jared Kushner a security clearance, overruling intelligence officials who raised concerns about the clear national security risks of doing so,” the two lawmakers wrote in a Monday letter to Attorney General William Barr that was made public on Tuesday.

{mosads}”Taken together with previous reports that Mr. Kushner omitted contacts with more than one hundred foreign persons on his clearance forms – including the Russian Ambassador – we request that the Department of Justice open an immediate investigation to determine if Mr. Kushner is criminally liable for his false statements,” Lieu and Beyer added.

The lawmakers earlier this year called on acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to revoke Kushner’s clearance, citing reports at the time about potential foreign influence on Kushner.

The most recent reports, which cite sources saying Trump ordered former White House chief of staff John Kelly to grant Kushner clearance, have ramped up Democratic calls for investigations into the security clearance process.

House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) recently threatened to subpoena the White House for security clearance-related documents, including interview with witnesses, that the panel demanded in January. Monday was the deadline to fulfill a request for documents and transcribed interviews from the White House personnel security office.

The Oversight committee did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Hill regarding whether it received the requested documents.

Trump has said he had no involvement in Kushner’s security clearance application.

“I know that there was issues back and forth about security for numerous people, actually. But I don’t want to get involved in that stuff,” Trump told The New York Times in January.

On Friday, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Trump has the “absolute right” to involve himself in the security clearance process. She did not elaborate on whether Trump ordered Kelly to approve Kushner’s application.