The Russians can take some of the blame for White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s inability to obtain a full security clearance, according to a new report.
Sources told CNN that Kushner’s efforts to receive a full security clearance will be stymied, in part, due to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Mueller is reportedly digging into connections Kushner had with Russians and his financial dealings with foreign investors during the presidential transition, along with his relationship with former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty late last year to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians.
The White House has come under fire recently after it was revealed that dozens of staffers were still working in the administration with interim security clearances as of November 2017, including Kushner and former staff secretary Rob Porter.
White House chief of staff John Kelly instructed aides earlier this month to “discontinue” interim security clearances for those who have had pending clearance applications since June 1 or earlier. Kushner has been working in his father-in-law’s administration since Trump’s inauguration in January 2017.
Kelly also demanded that staffers who did still have interim clearances receive limited access to highly classified information.
The White House has not revealed if Kushner’s clearance would be removed, although Kelly said he has “full confidence in his ability to continue performing his duties in his foreign policy portfolio.”
