Jared Kushner Image by Getty Images

By Nathan Guttman July 19, 2017

As President Trump’s closest aide, Jared Kushner holds an interim top security clearance which allows him access to classified meetings and information relating to national security issues.

But now, Democrats are calling on the White House to revoke Kushner’s clearance, or at least not put it on hold until it is clear whether he played a role in the suspected Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. According to CNN, the White House is taking this threat seriously and are concerned the FBI may not approve Kushner for a permanent clearance, following recent discoveries regarding his participation, alongside brother-in-law Donald Trump Jr. in a meeting with a Russian lawyer offering damming information about Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign.

Kushner’s clearance is now up for review and according to his lawyer, the president’s son-in-law “has tried to be fully transparent and responsive in the background investigations process.” Losing the clearance could cripple Kushner’s work on many of the issues in his portfolio, including Middle East peacemaking and international relations.

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But concerns over Kushner’s security clearance may be overstated since his presidential father-in-law has the final say.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

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