The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is questioning incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus over reports President-elect Trump is seeking security clearances for his children.
Trump’s transition team has pushed back on those reports, telling reporters in Trump Tower on Monday that Trump did not formally request clearances and has not begun filling out the necessary paperwork to do so.
Even so, Rep. Elijah Cummings said in a Tuesday letter to Priebus “it appears that preliminary discussions about this proposal have begun.”
The Maryland Democrat cited an executive order that restricts security clearances to individuals who “need-to-know” classified information for their jobs.
“Even after security clearances are granted, access to classified information is limited to the extent that it is required to fulfill designated duties and responsibilities,” Cummings wrote.
“Congress has passed legislation to provide for a new president’s transition team members to hold security clearances during the transition, but it is too late to utilize that process, which requires background check applications to be submitted before the election,” he added. “That legislation also provides for an expedited security clearance process during the transition for ‘candidates for high level national security positions,’ but that does not appear to be the case with Mr. Trump’s children.”
Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. have each said they do not intend to hold formal positions in their father’s administration. Even so, Trump named all three to the board of his transition team last week, and they each served as key surrogates and advisors during his hard-fought campaign.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, is also expected to play an influential role in Trump’s transition and, possibly, his presidency.
“I request an explanation for this highly unusual request from Mr. Trump to explore the possibility of his children obtaining access to classified national security information, as well as the proposed scope of their official ‘need-to-know’ this information,” Cummings said.
It is unclear whether Trump will ultimately pursue clearances for his children or what roles they will play in his White House and sprawling business empire.
“That’s not something I’m expecting right now,” a transition official said Monday of the rumors that Trump would request the clearances.
