Martese Edwards, the National Security Council contractor who was arrested on a murder warrant at a White House secret service checkpoint Wednesday, had obtained a security clearance despite allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend, according to a Wednesday Daily Beast report.
Besides the murder charges, Edwards has run into legal problems related to assault twice before.
Per the Daily Beast, prosecutors in Prince George’s County charged Edwards with second-degree assault in May 2015, later dismissing the case for unknown reasons. In August 2013, he was reportedly involved in another legal proceeding over domestic violence and was served with an interim restraining order. That case was also dropped when the petitioner did not appear in court.
That both previous cases did not end in convictions could reportedly explain why Edwards was still able to obtain a White House job with security clearance.
An unnamed White House spokesperson told the Daily Beast that he was hired to “provide temporary services” to the NSC in December 2017.
