At least two of the individuals that the White House threatened to relieve of security clearances appear to already to lack the privilege.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday that President Trump was weighing revoking the security clearances of former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, along with former CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, and former national security adviser Susan Rice.
“Not only is the president looking to take away Brennan’s security clearance, he’s also looking into the clearances of Comey, Clapper, Hayden, Rice and McCabe,” press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters.
But according to Benjamin Wittes, Lawfare editor-in-chief, his friend Comey doesn’t have a security clearance that could be revoked after he was fired by Trump last year.
I just texted @Comey asking whether he even has a security clearance to revoke.
“Nope,” he responded. There’s nothing for POTUS to revoke. Comey says he was “read out” when he left government as per normal practice. 1/2
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) July 23, 2018
Additionally, McCabe’s spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said that McCabe no longer has a security clearance because he was fired by the Justice Department earlier this year.
Andrew McCabe’s security clearance was deactivated when he was terminated, according to what we were told was FBI policy. You would think the White House would check with the FBI before trying to throw shiny objects to the press corps… https://t.co/ZOKJDChpeP
— Melissa Schwartz (@MSchwartz3) July 23, 2018
The FBI declined to comment to the Washington Examiner.
According to a CNN report, national security lawyer Bradley Moss said it is important to note that there is a difference between “access” and “eligibility” to obtain classified information. While Comey and McCabe no longer have access to classified information, individuals like Clapper and Brennan have security clearances so they can share insight with the current administration.
The White House argued that they had “politicized and monetized” access to U.S. intelligence. Many of those former officials have openly criticized Trump.
“The president doesn’t like the fact that people are politicizing agencies and departments that are specifically meant to not be political and not meant to be monetized off of security clearances,” Sanders said.
After Sanders spoke to reporters Monday, Clapper shot back, saying it is a “petty thing” for Trump to consider revoking the security clearances of ex-government officials who have been critical of his administration.
Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017. Trump initially said Comey was fired per the suggestion of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, but then said shortly thereafter the “Russia thing” was a factor. Comey has since embarked on a book tour and has repeatedly vocalized criticism of Trump.
McCabe was fired by Sessions in March, less than 48 hours before he was going to retire with a full pension. An inspector general report released in April found that McCabe “lacked candor” on four separate occasions, after which a criminal referral was sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C.
