Several White House staffers have been terminated or reassigned for issues related to their security clearances — with at least one individual employed in the Office of the First Lady relieved of duty, sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News.
There is a list of several other individuals with security clearance issues that are under consideration for possible termination or reassignment in the coming days, sources also tell ABC News.
The actions come after a five-page memo, released last month by Chief of Staff John Kelly, outlined changes to the security clearance process. That memo came in the wake of domestic abuse allegations against former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who held an interim top security clearance. Porter has denied the accusations.
The ensuing scandal called into question how security clearances are issued, and who in the White House is able to gain access to classified information without proper clearance.
ABC News also learned late last week, Kelly wanted a list of remaining White House staffers with security clearance issues presented to him. That list, per a source, followed standard procedures which included such options as considering whether the individual should be relieved of duty or could be reassigned to another administration post.
As ABC News reported last week, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been stripped of his temporary, high-level security clearance and given a lower level clearance under new rules imposed by Kelly designed to crack down on West Wing staff with long-pending background investigations.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for details.
from ABC News: Politics http://ift.tt/2oWYmSp
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