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."
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.
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.
-
Can Trump put his tariffs on stronger legal footing?
Today's Big Question Appeals court says 'emergency' tariffs are improper
-
Film reviews: The Roses, Splitsville, and Twinless
Feature A happy union devolves into domestic warfare, a couple's open marriage reaps chaos, and an unlikely friendship takes surprising turns
-
Thought-provoking podcasts you may have missed this summer
The Week Recommends Check out a true crime binger, a deep-dive into history and more
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges