House Democrats request records on Jared Kushner and his security clearance


Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff, on Wednesday, asking to see records on President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, his security clearance, and the classified information he is able to see.
The letter questions why Kushner, who while applying for his security clearance reportedly did not disclose meetings he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, and the CEO of a Russian state-owned bank, "continues to have access to classified information, while these allegations are being investigated." The 18 Democrats are also seeking similar records on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who resigned in February after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his conversations with Kislyak.
The Trump administration has ignored 260 letters from House Democrats, NPR reports, and has asked the Justice Department to come up with a legal opinion that says only committee chairs have the authority to ask executive branch agencies for information on what they are doing. This doesn't thrill Republicans, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) telling NPR the policy runs counter to "everything that every eighth grade student has studied about checks and balances of government."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US