WH official cites problems in security clearances

WASHINGTON (AP) — A career official in the White House security office says dozens of people in President Donald Trump's administration were granted security clearances despite "disqualifying issues" in their backgrounds, including concerns about foreign influence, drug use and criminal conduct.

Tricia Newbold, an 18-year government employee who oversaw the issuance of clearances for some senior White House aides, says she compiled a list of at least 25 officials who were initially denied security clearances last year, but senior officials overruled those denials.

The allegations were detailed in a letter and memo released Monday by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. The documents, which are based on Newbold's March 23 private committee interview, don't identify the officials on the list but say they include "two current senior White House officials, as well as contractors and individuals" in different parts of the Executive Office of the President.

"According to Ms. Newbold, these individuals had a wide range of serious disqualifying issues involving foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use and criminal conduct," the memo says.

The release of the documents sets up another fight between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House, and it immediately drew criticism from House Republicans who called the allegations overblown and "cherry-picked."

Cummings' panel has been investigating security clearances issued to senior officials including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former White House aide Rob Porter. That probe has picked up steam after The New York Times reported Trump ordered officials to grant Kushner a clearance over the objections of national security officials, and after Newbold spoke out to NBC News and other news outlets about her concerns.

On Monday, Cummings said he will move this week to authorize his first subpoena in the probe. The subpoena will be for the deposition of Carl Kline, who served as the White House personnel security director and supervised Newbold. He has since left the White House for the Defense Department.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Fox News today she could not talk about individual security clearances, but asserted that Democrats were "acting in bad faith" because they are asking for personal, confidential information "they know they have absolutely no right to see."

"Let's not forget 3 million Americans have security clearances that work for the government. By exploiting one, you're exploiting all of their personal information," Sanders said.