Report: Kushner Set to Lose Access to Classified Info

He's on the wrong side of Kelly's new rules
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 21, 2018 4:36 AM CST
Report: Kushner Set to Lose Access to Classified Info
Jared Kushner takes a phone call before a Security Council meeting on the situation in Middle East, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at United Nations headquarters.   (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

White House chief of staff John Kelly's overhaul of White House clearance procedures in the wake of the Rob Porter scandal extends to all staff members—and insiders say the president's son-in-law isn't happy about it. The New York Times, citing "White House officials and others briefed on the matter," reports that Jared Kushner is feuding with Kelly, demanding that he retain access to high-level classified information like President Trump's daily briefing. Kushner, who has long been operating under an interim security clearance, is set to lose access Friday under Kelly's directive because his background investigation has been pending since before June last year. Kushner initially failed to disclose dozens of overseas contacts.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to discuss Kushner's security clearance Tuesday, but she said "nothing that has taken place will affect the valuable work Jared is doing," CNN reports. Kelly issued a statement saying Kushner would have all the information he needs to do his job. "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 said. Under Kelly's new policy, monthly reviews will be carried out for people with interim security clearances, and he will grant access to highly classified information "only in the most compelling circumstances." (More Jared Kushner stories.)

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