Dems ‘Deeply Disturbed’ By Kushner Security Clearance Fiasco, Ask Barr For Criminal Probe

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) on Tuesday asked Attorney General Bill Barr to conduct a criminal probe into the ongoing controversies surrounding senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s security clearance.

In a letter to Barr, Lieu and Beyer said they were “deeply disturbed” by the latest developments — that Trump ordered his then-chief of staff John Kelly to ignore intelligence officials’ concerns and grant Kushner clearance — combined with reports that Kushner omitted foreign contacts on initial iterations of his application form. Kushner reportedly excluded his contacts with more than 100 foreign officials, including the Russian ambassador, on his initial form.

Late last month, the New York Times reported that Trump demanded Kushner receive top secret clearance, even after he had to correct his form multiple times. Kelly reportedly documented the demand in a memo.

“More than an act of blatant nepotism, the President’s actions so threatened the integrity of our national security apparatus that Mr. Trump’s chief of staff felt the need to document the order through a contemporaneous memo,” the two wrote in the letter to Barr, asking the DOJ to probe whether Kushner’s actions are criminally liable.

“Right on the form it says if you make false statements or omit material facts you can be punished up to five years in prison,” Lieu expanded during an appearance on CNN Tuesday afternoon. “Jared Kushner had to submit two forms, actually he had to submit three forms, the first two were false and misleading. So he should absolutely be investigated.”

Read the letter to Barr below:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. This is obviously a fake made-up hoax trick ruse red herring diversion excuse mirage. I can see that clearly.

  2. Hasn’t this already been done - we’ve had so many AG’s, it’s hard to keep track.

    Maybe, if they do the probe, this one will actually come with a legitimate, same-as-everybody-else-who’s-done-it penalty.

    Frog march. Cameras. Yes!!!

  3. Yeah! It’s also presidential harassment, a witch hunt and a fishing expedition. Bad, bad people. So sad!!!

  4. Presidential Son-in-Law Lust Object-Husband Senior Presidential Advisor Harassment

    Throw the complicit, self-satisfied little prick in jail.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

16 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for esva Avatar for moreyampersand Avatar for tena Avatar for rickjones Avatar for tpr Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for spin Avatar for stellermeller Avatar for captain_america Avatar for rucleare

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: