A group of five House Democrats is seeking the suspension of Jared Kushner’s security clearance, as his application paperwork did not fully disclose his meetings with Russian and other foreign officials in the past months.
A group of five House Democrats is seeking the suspension of White House Senior Adviser and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s security clearance, as his application paperwork did not fully disclose his meetings with Russian and other foreign officials in the past months.
To that end, the lawmakers submitted a temporary revocation request to the FBI and the Office of Personnel Management.
The signees, Representatives Don Beyer, Ted Lieu, Jerrold Nadler, Jamie Raskin, and Peter Welch, also published a statement on Thursday about the request.
It reads, in part, “We were concerned last week that a story with significant national security implications – Jared Kushner’s ‘omission’ of meetings with foreign government officials – did not receive the scrutiny it deserved. Mr. Kushner must divulge the details of his meetings with foreign officials and explain why he did not reveal them when he was clearly required by to do so by law.”
The story referenced was published in the New York Times on April 6.
Specific meetings said lacking in requisite detail include those Kushner held with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the head of a Russian state-owned bank.
In their statement, the lawmakers note, “The fact that Kushner is President Trump’s son-in-law does not place him above the law. Anyone else would face severe discipline for failing to disclose meetings with foreign officials, a material omission which potentially amounts to a criminal offense.”
They also write, “We are gravely concerned about the larger context within which this omission occurred. Mr. Kushner’s lack of candor about meetings with Russian officials appears to be part of a larger pattern of dissembling and deception on Russian contacts from the Trump team, and we believe the public deserves the truth about why these meetings took place and what they mean for U.S. foreign policy.”