More Than 30 Trump Aides Said to Lose Top Secret Clearance

More than 30 aides to President Donald Trump have been stripped of access to top secret intelligence, two people familiar with the move said.

The officials have been notified that they will be downgraded to a lower-level “secret” interim security clearance while their background investigations continue, said the two people. None of the officials have been asked to leave the administration and their portfolios on top secret matters will be distributed to other staff members, they said.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, also has had his security clearance downgraded as result of the same new policy on interim clearances set by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, said another person familiar with the material.

All of the officials whose clearances were downgraded held the top secret designation on an interim basis. Kelly set a new policy that took effect last week that permits interim clearances only at the secret level and not permitting temporary clearances at higher levels.

The White House has faced a barrage of criticism over its handling of sensitive intelligence. The House Oversight Committee opened an investigation this month after former Staff Secretary Rob Porter was permitted to keep his for months after the FBI said it had provided the White House a report including allegations of domestic violence from his two ex-wives.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said Tuesday that he wants answers from the White House and the FBI about reports that dozens of top officials still lacked a full security clearance, and that some officials like Kushner have access to the highly classified President’s Daily Brief prepared by intelligence agencies.

In an earlier memo released Feb. 16, Kelly said that the administration must “do better” in its handling of security clearances. Kelly said he would discontinue all “Top Secret or SCI-level interim clearances” for people who have ongoing investigations stretching back to June 1, 2017, using an acronym for “Sensitive Compartmented Information.” While the new policy was set to take effect on Feb. 23, White House officials have declined to say who would be affected.