Skip to main content

Kushner given security clearance after lengthy background check

Donald Trump’s son-in-law serves as a senior adviser on the Middle East and other issues. Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been granted White House security clearance after a lengthy background check. The move ensures the key adviser with a broad international portfolio can have access to some of the US’s most closely held secrets. Mr Kushner, a senior adviser on the Middle East and other issues, was among many White House advisers who had been operating without approval for full security clearances. That led to a White House policy overhaul in February that significantly downgraded access to sensitive information for Mr Kushner and other Trump administration officials on interim clearances. Jared Kushner with his wife, Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka (Sebastian Scheiner/AP) “With respect to the news about his permanent security clearance, as we stated before, his application was properly submitted, reviewed by career officials, and went through the normal process,” Mr Kushner’s lawyer Abbe Lowell said in a statement. “Having completed these processes, Mr Kushner is looking forward to continuing the work the president has asked him to do.” Mr Kushner was interviewed for a second time last month by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. “In each occasion, he answered all questions asked and did whatever he could to expedite the conclusion of all the investigation,” Mr Lowell said. The first interview occurred last autumn and the questions were limited to former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, who subsequently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and began co-operating with Mr Mueller. The second interview was in April and concerned potential influence by foreign governments, including Russia, and the firing of former FBI director James Comey, among other topics, Mr Lowell said. The interview did not deal with Mr Kushner’s finances or his companies, Mr Lowell said. Mr Kushner was with the president in New Jersey the weekend before Mr Comey was fired, and he was among the attendees at a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer at which the president’s oldest son was told he would receive negative information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Kushner — the point of contact for foreign officials during the campaign and transition — was also alluded to, though not by name, in Mr Flynn’s guilty plea as a transition team official who encouraged Mr Flynn to contact foreign government officials, about a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements. The delay in Mr Kushner’s case was caused by a backlog in the new administration and his extensive financial wealth, which required lengthy review, Mr Lowell said.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Security company in Bellevue vandalized

BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) - An Omaha home security company based out of Bellevue is using its own camera to help track down a thief who stole items from outside their building. Chris Malmberg, the owner of Omaha Security Systems Inc. says an unidentified man stole nearly $300 worth of landscaping Sunday night. "The motion sensors went off and I got a notification on my phone that he was there. We saw him take the plants, we watched him drive away and then immediately contacted police," said Malmberg. "He was real nervous, but he ended up stealing shrubbery, Hosta plants, I mean - never in my life have I ever known somebody to steal landscaping." Malmberg said the plants could be replaced, but what's frustrating is that this is one of several vandalism incidents his business has experienced since OSSI moved into the building near Jefferson and Mission Ave. "We've had vandalism, we've had items stolen, or attempted to be stolen, with the security that we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Study: Majority of U.S. Broadband Households Concerned About Security of IoT Devices

As Internet-connected devices become more ubiquitous, security and privacy concerns of end users are also on the rise. Simply installing security systems in smart homes is no longer enough. Security integrators must also consider bolstering cybersecurity measures when installing their systems. A recently released whitepaper from IoT research firm Parks Associates, titled “Residential Security and Encryption: Setting the Standard, Protecting Consumers,” reveals that 64% of U.S. broadband households are concerned about security and privacy when using their connected devices. Parks Associates also found that the majority of homeowners assume security integrators are addressing their cybersecurity concerns. In fact, a Parks Associates survey of U.S. security owners found 63% of professionally monitored subscribers believe the wireless signals from their system are encrypted, even though encryption is currently not the industry-wide standard. While the whitepaper outlines a few ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ring Alarm review: A great DIY home security system with the potential to become even better

Ring builds some of our favorite video doorbells and security camera/outdoor lighting mashups. Now the company—recently acquired by Amazon—is moving inside the home with a strong and inexpensive DIY home security system: Ring Alarm. It’s a fantastic product today, and Ring says it will only get better with time. Ring Alarm is positioned as a mainstream home security system, and while you won’t find a great deal of innovation here (there’s nothing like the Nest Detect sensor that comes with the much-more-expensive Nest Secure system , for example), it’s already equipped with everything it needs to grow into a comprehensive smart home system. Ring Alarm doesn’t support smart lighting controls, door locks, thermostats, garage-door openers, or other common smart home products today, and there’s a very short list of supported third-party products. But it lacks nothing needed to support those and similar devices down the road. And in an intervi...
Post a Comment
Read more