Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Sunday he has questions on the legality of President Donald Trump’s revocation of ex-CIA chief John Brennan’s security clearance.
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Panetta said Trump has the authority to revoke clearances, but also is limited by an executive order signed by President Bill Clinton, updated by President Bush and followed by President Barack Obama.
That order, he said, “makes very clear that when it comes to the revocation of a security clearance that it has to be based on national security issues not the politics of somebody, not what that person has said, not how they dress, not how they look, but based on national security issues.”
"This president has to abide by that executive order unless he's prepared to change it,” he said. “That executive order lays out a process for revoking security clearances. And this president is not above the law, he's required to follow that executive order.”
He also warned clearances are “critical to our national security and decisions regarding security clearances ought to be based on national security issues.”
“Our concern now is that security clearances are going to be used as a political tool to go after people that the president doesn't agree with or issues that the president may not agree with and we think that undermines the importance of security clearances particularly when it comes to national security," he said.
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