Pot smoking vs. spousal abuse: Security clearance double standard alleged
Source: Politico
Government officials are routinely denied clearance for reasons that look minor next to concerns about Jared Kushner and Rob Porter, lawyers say.
By JOSH GERSTEIN and DARREN SAMUELSOHN 02/22/2018 05:00 AM EST
From speeding to pot smoking to, in one case, ownership of a Canadian brewery, rank-and-file government employees often see their security clearances challenged, denied or revoked for issues they consider relatively minor.
Which makes them all the more frustrated to see White House staffers with major red flags in their backgrounds given permission to handle classified information.
Lawyers say they’ve seen government workers and federal contractors run into serious clearance problems over occasional marijuana use, routine debts or small-scale foreign investments while top Trump officials like former Staff Secretary Rob Porter worked with a clearance for about a year despite allegations of spousal abuse. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, continues to hold a clearance despite owing tens of millions of dollars in debt — some owed to a German bank.
"They're getting away with murder," said Sheldon Cohen, a Virginia attorney who spent two decades representing workers in clearance fights. "What is going on in the White House, if it was taking place involving people at agencies or in private industry, they would never get a clearance."
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/22/white-house-security-clearance-porter-kushner-421641
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