While Nancy Pelosi was owning Donald Trump and Roger Stone was getting arrested, this also was reported:
Jared Kushner’s application for a top-secret clearance was rejected by two career White House security specialists after an FBI background check raised concerns about potential foreign influence on him — but their supervisor overruled the recommendation and approved the clearance, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The official, Carl Kline, is a former Pentagon employee who was installed as director of the personnel security office in the Executive Office of the President in May 2017. Kushner’s was one of at least 30 cases in which Kline overruled career security experts and approved a top-secret clearance for incoming Trump officials despite unfavorable information, the two sources said.
In other words, at least a few dozen people have been working for the Trump Administration and given security clearances who are actually security risks. Okay.
After Kline overruled the White House security specialists and recommended Kushner for a top-secret clearance, Kushner’s file then went to the CIA for a ruling on SCI. [“sensitive compartmented information,” the nation’s most sensitive secrets]
After reviewing the file, CIA officers who make clearance decisions balked, two of the people familiar with the matter said. One called over to the White House security division, wondering how Kushner got even a top-secret clearance, the sources said. Top-secret information is defined as material that would cause “exceptionally grave damage” to national security if disclosed to adversaries.
The sources say the CIA has not granted Kushner clearance to review SCI material. That would mean Kushner lacks access to key intelligence unless President Donald Trump decides to override the rules, which is the president’s’ prerogative. The Washington Post reported in July 2018 that Kushner was not given an “SCI” clearance. CIA spokesman Timothy Barrett said, “The CIA does not comment on individual security clearances.”
What do you want to bet Trump blabs everything to Kushner anyway?
Martin Longman points out that Kushner is being investigated by German banking regulators for suspicious activity in his Deutsche Bank accounts. And Tina Nguyen writes at Vanity Fair,
Given his various entanglements, the C.I.A.’s alarm makes sense. As The Washington Post reported last year, the president’s son-in-law is viewed by several foreign countries–the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, China, and Israel among them–as a potentially manipulable asset, given his fraught business dealings and his notable lack of political experience. Along with his communications with Russia during the transition, which caught Mueller’s attention, Kushner helped establish a back channel with the U.A.E. while supporting a blockade against Qatar, and has maintained a close personal friendship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who reportedly bragged last spring that he had Kushner “in his pocket” after Kushner allegedly turned over a list of Saudi dissidents being monitored by the U.S. (Kushner’s team has called this allegation “obviously false and ridiculous”; shortly after the gruesome death of Jamal Khashoggi, Kushner apparently became a reliable defender of the crown prince within the White House.)
Presumably, some or all of these dealings factored into career officials’ recommendation that Kushner be denied a security clearance. “They would not do that lightly for someone of Kushner’s stature and position,” Jacobson wrote. “The fact that the C.I.A. then denied his S.C.I. application is equally damning,” he added. “And the fact that they were so disturbed by the granting of his [top secret] clearance that they called over to the WH? Hooboy.”
There are reports Trump is losing faith with his son in law over the government shutdown fiasco. Yet I suspect Kushner will remain in the White House until the FBI hauls him away.
" Kushner is being investigated by German banking regulators for suspicious activity "
Yes Kushner is an entitled privileged punk just like his Daddy and Daddy in law. Trump as president is a double edged sword for these miscreants (including his sleazy daughter), the Presidency is bringing added scrutiny but the Presidency also gives them even more immunity than their privileged white elite status already provided. I'd love to see them all in chains wearing orange but I know realistically that they will all most likely walk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtYaWt-AGB4
Back in the very early 80s, after I had graduated from college, moved back to NY City, and was working as a Trainer for Time, Inc., one of my closest friends came down to the city for the weekend for some shit's and giggles.
He told me he was applying for a job with the CIA the next week.
I was kind if of shocked, because I was the most politically active out of our gang of friends – by far.
We talked about his opportunity, and at a moment when I was feeling a bit full of myself because because I figured my solid work history and political activity made me a good source for a recommendation, and so I offered to write him a glowing one!
"Gulag, not only do I not want a recommendation from you. I'm not even going to tell anyone that I KNOW you!"
Well, without any help from me, somehow or other my friend has been "in government work" for decades. And still is.
So, either he didn't tell them he knew me, or he did, they all laughed, and he got the job anyway.
I heard speculation that Nunes has created the mother of unintended consequences. He promised that Jared and Don Jr. would be allowed to testify and their stories protected – which Nunes did. Their stories and it seems Cohen's testimony were all coordinated by Trump's lawyers. Also false.
The House has changed hands. Cohen has flipped. Evidence has surfaced which may prove that Trump's boys commited perjury. The transcripts will be sent to Mueller ASAP. Cohen isn't a reliable witness but if evidence exists which proves a crime, those spineless stupid sneaks are in for a world of hurt. There's also one way out for the bastards.
Popcorn? Where's the popcorn?
Off Topic – Several friends disagreed when I said that Trump will lose and the contest is selecting a candidate who will fix the damage. From an article in Politico…
Wall Street executives who want Trump out list a consistent roster of appealing nominees that includes former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Kamala Harris of California. Others meriting mention: former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, though fewally know his positions.
Bankers’ biggest fear: The nomination goes to an anti-Wall Street crusader like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or Sanders. “It can’t be Warren and it can’t be Sanders,” said the CEO of another giant bank. “It has to be someone centrist and someone who can win.”
I don't dislike any of the banker's favorite candidates as much as I dislike Clinton, but there's gonna be huge dark money campaigns to prevent a progressive from winning. My prediction is that the secret money will flow to Democrats, not Trump. The objective will be to maintain the economic status quo. Don't change the flow of money to the top .01%. That's it. Let anyone serve in the army. Allow Dreamers to stay. (They are consumers.) Tweak social justice around the edges. Just don't flock with the money. And you can be president.
I don't think Trump can win again. But the bankers might.
"I heard speculation that Nunes has created the mother of unintended consequences. He promised that Jared and Don Jr. would be allowed to testify and their stories protected – which Nunes did. Their stories and it seems Cohen's testimony were all coordinated by Trump's lawyers. Also false.
The House has changed hands."
Yeah that's why the Republicans haven't named members to that committee yet. They literally think if they ignore it it will go away.
“What do you want to bet Trump blabs everything to Kushner anyway? … I suspect Kushner will remain in the White House until the FBI hauls him away.”
That’s because Jared and Ivanka aren’t White House aides in the usual sense; they’re geriatric nurses. I’m confident they read everything he can’t grasp (which is everything) and explain it to him.
Waspuppet,
What makes you think Javanka/Ivanred grasp what they're reading to tRUMP?
Those two are about as sharp as cue balls!
In a way, the CIA and FBI recommending Kushner not be given a clearance is them saving him from himself. He thinks he's "smart" but is really naive and has already proven himself to be a dupe. Better (for him) to be that without information than with, and end up on the business end of a treason charge.
Our country is being governed by the likes of Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and who knows how many other nincompoops. I have given up worrying about the so-called president and have told God or whomever is in charge of the universe that it is his/her problem and please hurry up and fix it. I need a solution that is straight out of the Twilight Zone. Somehow there was always justice on that show. Except with the poor guy who wanted to do nothing but read and ended up surrounded by many books and plenty of time but breaks his glasses. That hurts!