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Nadler Pushes For Kushner Suspension Of Security Clearance

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-Western Brooklyn, Manhattan) last week joined several Democratic House members in writing to the FBI and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requesting that they suspend White House Senior Advisor and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s security clearance.

The group of lawmakers including Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Peter Welch (D-VT) cited in their letter Kushner’s admission that he “omitted” required details about meetings with foreign officials from an FBI questionnaire.

“We were concerned last week that a story with significant national security implications – White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner’s ‘omission’ of meetings with foreign government officials – did not receive the scrutiny it deserved. Mr. Kushner must divulge the details of his meetings with foreign officials and explain why he did not reveal them when he was clearly required by to do so by law,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The fact that Kushner is President Trump’s son-in-law does not place him above the law. Anyone else would face severe discipline for failing to disclose meetings with foreign officials, a material omission which potentially amounts to a criminal offense.

“Furthermore, background checks for security clearances are in large part assessments of the judgment of the person being evaluated. Mr. Kushner signed a legal document that withheld details about significant meetings with foreign officials, including meetings with allies and emissaries of Vladimir Putin. This action throws Mr. Kushner’s judgment into serious question and doubt.

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“We are gravely concerned about the larger context within which this omission occurred. Mr. Kushner’s lack of candor about meetings with Russian officials appears to be part of a larger pattern of dissembling and deception on Russian contacts from the Trump team, and we believe the public deserves the truth about why these meetings took place and what they mean for U.S. foreign policy.”

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