So, JK gets his security clearance--another sign that the U.S. is doomed.
When I was in the army in the late 1960s, I had a TS clearance with crypto access. If I or the other soldiers in my unit had lied or omitted one item on the clearance application, we would have lost our clearance, in an instant.
Some combination and degree of greed and nepotism has ruled the white house and government for a long time. It's peaking now before the crash. In a similar vein, get ready for another "bailout" of wall street bankers, like the 2008 scam.
We're done for.
22
Of course Kushner gets his clearance reinstated. Nepotism is better than no potism at all!
What could go wrong with such a lad with over 100 omissions on his clearance form despite numerous drafts?
18
There is no way he is a security risk. This is how Trump gets his way. Do what I want, he say's, or I will attack you.
Consider all the "enemies", Trump attacks; the FBI, State Dept, CIA, NSA, Media, DOJ, the deep state, our allies for the last 60 years, Dems, President Obama, establishment Republicans, liberals, immigrants, etc, etc.
It's amazing how many entities Trump has said is out to get him. Talk about paranoid.
9
After having made a ridiculous typo in my earlier letter, I made the opposite one in the letter I posted a minute ago. The correct quotation is "People who see the mote in their neighbor's eye, don't see the beam in their own eye." The adage is apt. I believe that 90% of the writers here are dishing out spurious criticism, not realizing that they are not standing on firm ground. I repeat, at any rate, that the spewing I have read might drive the political Center to the Right.
2
Makes me regret that, decades ago, I had to sign an oath in triplicate forswearing the devll weed in exchange for comparable clearances. Oh, the good times lost!
4
Maybe Kushner flipped already?
Trump's lawyer recently said they might have to throw Kushner to the wolves.
The slow train wreck rolls on.
5
Whenever I cannot switch channels fast enough when Kushner appears, my immediate reaction is that he is a snake and deserves to be jailed for treason, sedition and for his generally contemptuous attitude.
He makes me nauseous.
11
That's it (snake)! I've been sputtering ground trying to identify what creature he reminds me of... Yes! The cottonmouth snakes that lurked under the stones out in the field.
It is as alarming that this completely unqualified as well as creepy guy has ACCESS to high level information as it is that he is charged with numerous duties for which he has not one iota of qualification.
8
"Kushner’s Financial Ties to Israel Deepen Even With Mideast Diplomatic Role" -By Jesse Drucker Jan. 7, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/business/jared-kushner-israel.html
Embassy Celebration in Jerusalem - May 14, 2018.
American and Israeli officials celebrated President Trump’s move of the embassy to Jerusalem. Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Steve Mnuchin attended. I think Jared is an Israeli pawn, amongst other things.
8
Dollars to donuts Trump intervened and GAVE it to him!
6
Even the hand in the portrait is pointing at Kushner. The ghosts of democracy working in strange ways.
8
2016 should have been a historic learning experience for the democrats. Unfortunately, the vilification of Trump and his staff keeps the democrats from accepting responsibility for getting Trump elected. The ONLY pathway to the whitehouse for Donald Trump in 2016 was through Hillary Clinton. Bernie would have clobbered him, Biden would have, too. For the obvious reasons, O'Malley, Webb, even Chafee would have likely beaten him. So extreme was the distrust of and familiarity with Hillary Clinton throughout the country. If there is any blame to be laid here, it belongs with the democratic party establishment.
6
05/22/2018 Became Public Law No: 115-173.
Signed by Trump on 5/22/2018 in order to bypass stricter guidelines for Kushner to obtain his security clearance!
"In a signing statement Tuesday night, Trump said provisions of the bill — the Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Transparency Act of 2018, or SECRET Act — encroach on his authority as commander-in-chief."
Clearly Trump has an "obsession" with changing laws in secrecy! Rather revealing that within 24 hrs. Kushner is granted his permanent security clearance. And it was NOT issued by the FBI.
7
Who granted permanent clearance? Did it go through regular channels? Did Trump give him the clearance? Something is not right here.
10
Now Kushner can share intelligence on Iran
with Saudi crown prince and negotiate a
lucrative deal with him.What foreign affairs
experience Kushner has to qualify for the
role of policy advisor. The system smacks
of nepotism. It will be surprising if he gave
one good advice.
7
" Why " was he given a clearance after being denied for false, downright lies, amnesia with recollections forthcoming only when he was trapped? It stinks of nepotism! Is that standard F.B.I.procedure for all Americans not related to the Don? If it is, then they should open the gates of all prisons. At least they should be able to get a minimum wage job.
9
What are the criteria an individual must meet to obtain this clearance?
Is the fact that he lied in his application not a drawback?
The fact his father is a felon not a problem?
What about his high debt and exposure to being blackmailed?
What about his meetings with representatives from other countries that have been offered access in exchange for investing in his company?
8
Kushner's clearance was provided by The White House; Mueller had nothing to do with it.
In other words, Kushner's clearance does not imply innocence. It is still quite possible that Mueller might indict him.
16
Kushner's father is a felon. Guilt by association? I guess, but, there is something to the affect of the apple not falling....
How brought him up? Where do people get their values? This stinks to high heaven.
20
My husband's clearance was delayed so that his parents who were refugees in ww2 could be investigated....and this criminal got a high clearance. Only hope is that Mr Mueller can indict the whole bunch and throw away the key. Trump is disgusting!
10
Actually one's father's sins should not disqualify a person - only his own. But yes, in this case, we know very well that the apple has not fallen far from the tree... just look at the company he keeps.
3
JK, his sister and father should all be in jail. His father should be back in jail. All dishonest greedy real estate brokers.
20
How and why?
7
For those of you who are shocked that Jared has clearance, let me remind of the shock you felt when Trump won the presidency. On a scale of 1 to 10, this shock is a 1. How can you tell? You are not crying!
23
This is a frightening but hardly unexpected indication that the Mueller investigation will be another whitewash akin to those that shielded Oliver North, Dick Cheney from punishment.
18
But, but, he's one of the bad guys....
The knee-jerk antipathy displayed in these comments makes me wonder (just a bit) if my own disdain for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz, etc. was fully warranted. The big difference between this group and Trump's is that his people are not part of the Republican establishment. The dossier's "research" was initiated by the Republicans, after all. Democrats don't seem to appreciate the diffuse power of the establishment as they once did - probably because they are now part of that establishment.
4
They may not be part of the establishment, as you say, but they are part of the corrupt and as such should have no access to any security clearance.
Jared is on the phone as we write these comments, shilling for his company and Trump's businesses to buy access and to the Russians for secret information in exchange for 'support' on the next election.
18
K may not be the brightest bulb in the package, but most of the posters are saying things that are wholly without factual basis e.g. he is guilty of treason. Their hate and contempt for Trump distorts their thinking on everything and anyone associated with Trump. The NYT recently reported that Trump has said that K and Ivanka should go back to New York. They should and hope we survive this presidency and that they survive the nasty things people say about the only two Democrats that work in the White House.
4
Is this legitimate and proper? I'm not buying it. Just last week we learned that Qatar rescued the Kushner company from financial ruin with a half billion dollar investment. Kushner participated in efforts that were treasonous according to the everyday meaning of that word. By that same standard, he conspired with an adversarial nation to undermine our democracy. The standard for obtaining a security clearance is higher than whether or not one is likely to be indicted by the DOJ investigation.
17
My understanding is that the POTUS can unilaterally give top security clearance to anyone he wants. I don't think this news means that the FBI gave him a "thumbs up" nor do I agree w/ the pundits that this is a message that his legal jeopardy has waned. Mark my words, he will be indicted by the Feds &/or the State of NY and he will see prison reform as a participant, just like his father did.
15
I refer back to "Been There" earlier comment - Cheney and North easily escaped any punishment for their sins. If any trumpists get in trouble the big man can always pardon them ala Scooter Libby. What a country. You and I would probably be breaking rocks at a detention farm in Pennsylvania for 5 years minimum.
2
No news here. Trump just tightened the screws on the granting authority to give old “Kush” the keys to the kingdom.
Kushner, with that permanent smirk, knew that old Donald would eventually win this for his son in law. That’s the world of unearned privilege: no limits, no restrictions, and there’s nothing in the Kushner or Trump code says anything about one paying dues or earning the rights to privilege; one takes one demands because of who I am or my family connections.
So, old Kush can now pilfer his appetite for gaining more global wealth because he knows now, because of his security clearance, where the mother lodes are located. And based on the character of his father in law regarding wealth, old Kush will just walk in and take the wealth, with that twisted smirk!
18
Brown pelican
You need to learn about security clearance
6
The highly compromised and extremely unqualified JK is considered a laughing stock by the Saudis and UAE.....they even said they had him in their pocket. He has taken big $ from them to bail out his sleazy family's real estate business. So much for respect....this hurts the US reputation......can we sue them for damages to our image and reputation? Who will JK share(sell) these top secrets to now? He has no business in our govt and clearly does not represent American citizens. Like father like son, JD will serve time in prison too.
31
Sandra Garrett
FBI grants security clearance so I doubt Mr. Kushner is sharing or selling top secrets.
2
This statement is factually inaccurate. The FBI does not grant security clearances. They do background checks. However, this is an executive office decision - it is made by White House staff. Facts matter.
1
Disgusting. If anybody is cashing in on his proximity to the President, it's Jared.
14
BassGuyGG
And how do you know that?
2
Before we get too caught-up in the debate as to whether or not he should have a clearance, let's not forget that Jared Kushner's only apparent qualification for taking the lead on Middle East policy for the US (and, hence, the world) is...?
21
c'est moi - "Kushner's only apparent qualification for taking the lead on Middle East policy for the US (and, hence, the world) is...?"
is his track record in taking on another lead in something for which he had no qualifications - Trump's election campaign, against the massive and highly experienced Clinton machine. I wouldn't underestimate him. I'll judge him when he makes his peace plan public. Based on the merits, not his CV.
2
C'est moi
The FBI, not you in a debate, would make the decision regarding a security clearance.
C'est vrai.
5
Actually they DONT they REPORT. THE WH makes that decision and Trump can intervene. Read!!!
1
Is there is no one who will stand up for the rule of law against this bully/tyrant?
23
Grove
What law is being broken?
2
Evidently not. Disgusts me! When are these pack of thieves and liars getting out of our White House and to jail? Can't be soon enough...........
9
I think you mean “which laws”.
1
Dear Editors of the NY Times — let's be truthful in the headline. Isn't it true that the decision to give Jared Kushner his security clearance was made solely by Trump and the White House and NOT the FBI (the FBI does not grant or adjudicate security clearances as per Congressman Ted Lieu) You need to make this very clear in your article.
The headline SHOULD read: "White House grants Jared Kushner Security Clearance Amid Swirl of Questions"
29
Morningstar
FBI grants security clearances.
2
FBI does not give security clearances. They do background checks & makes recommendations. The White House “Office of personnel security” gives final clearance. Trump can give clearances to anyone he wants. Jared couldn’t pass FBI checks because he kept lying. Trump has forced the granting of the clearance.
2
Remarkable how they seem to use the thoroughness of the examination to call its conclusions into question. Pretty twisted...
4
I was expecting this conniving criminal to be indicted by now. If he received a permanent security clearance, that signals to me me that Muller has nothing. We are in for a full Trump term and possibly a second one. I’m disappointed in Muller.
6
Or Mueller is after bigger game.
2
“Conniving” implies intelligence
2
Or Mueller has nothing but scraps.
We should continue to ask ourselves, if this were Obama’s son in law, how would conservatives react? Hypocrisy runs deep with these people.
20
Mr. Mueller should indite Mr. Kushner and Mr. Donald Trump Jr.
tomorrow, if not today, for: wait for it; Treason with the Russians. What has become public is in of itself enough to become greatly concerned.
7
Marvinfeldman
What is your proof of treason???
1
Yes, all this inflammatory rhetoric based on so little empirical evidence.
Don Jr. & others were courting foreign countries & governments for favors during the campaign. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar were all working to get trump elected. Treason by association.
1
Nothing I have ever heard or read about this man inspires trust. Why is he anywhere near the White House? Because he is Trump's son-in-law and because he has business and personal ties, particularly with the Russians and the Saudis, that benefit Trump financial interests.
22
I noticed you didn't mention Israel's interests. I know, it's a taboo subject, but there you have it.
5
Dutchiris
You need to prove your last sentence.
1
The opening of trump properties in arab countries before & after his election. The financial bailout by China for Indonesian property trump wanted. Oh the evidence is there if you are not too blind by Fox to see it.
1
BTW: Isn’t that the back of the head and profile of Larry Summers at the table with Kushner in the “Thursday Briefing Photo” leading to this article? As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words, the lies and obfuscation in American Politics is really quite stunning, we have become nothing less that a banana republic with a big army being led by or dictated to by conservatives of both America and Israel, inducing wars that were fought by the parents and next the children of those thrown under the bus of forty plus years of their leadership beginning with Reagan, Kissinger, Milton Friedman Economics and Union Busting and culminating with Trump, Kushner, globalization and rule by the one percent. This is their make or break moment so I imagine we can expect the worst, we have witnessed the decimation of the middle class, our treasure and our Democracy by this crew, all the while China has been quietly positioning itself to take over following our self destruction.
15
You're correct until you start to invoke partisanship: both parties have presided over the decline of the US.
Don't fall for the fake divide.
1
Ted
Is your essay the beginning of a book?
Being the “leader for life” of the newly minted third world power “Amerika” will please Trump very much.
It can happen here.
It is happening here.
3
Strings were pulled, and I'm sure threats were made to get these clearances finalized. This is far from over. Even more of our classified material well now be given or sold to the highest bidder. The Trump coffers are being filled with money tinged with treason. Congress continues to blubber and drool, accomplishing absolutely nothing. That constitutional crisis that everyone keeps talking about is here.
16
It is. Hopefully all the assets will be seized when they go to jail. The proceeds can fund a huge celebration and dancing in the streets.
1
Doremus Jessup
"strings pulled" and "threats" made re clearance??
I doubt it since the FBI grants security clearance.
1
Sarah. I sincerely hope you are right, for all our sakes.
This is yet another slap in the face from this rank amateur administration
11
".@FBI does not grant or adjudicate security clearances. Decision to give Jared Kushner a clearance was made solely by the White House.
Kushner omitted his Trump Tower meeting not once, but TWICE on his SF-86s. If he wasn't the son-in-law of @POTUS, he would not have a clearance"
https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/999411100801228802
17
It appears that there is no meaningful oversight that would protect the country from a self serving, egotistical tyrant.
It can happen here.
It is happening here.
10
J
re security clearance: FBI grants security clearance, not the White House.
2
Grove
What is happening?
You want to get a security clearance? In Trump’s Era, it is easy: just repeat/tweet over and over again that the President is the best, the smartest, the most intelligent, that his decisions are making America great again.
And voilà.
7
Jeanne
The FBI grants security clearances.
1
Love the finger pointing directly at his head (from the portrait behind him). Says it all; keep an eye on this guy, you can't trust him.
16
Good catch!
5
To celebrate, Jared and Ivanka will get their staff to plan a 5 star two week trip to Europe to party at one of their mansions and raise another $100 million from connected friends for their NY real estate investments. Ivanka needs to unwind---governing's hard!
12
mike Ransmil
Celebrate what??
Being able to benefit financially from their connections to power.
2
STEVE
Family members working at White House and the President do not take salaries.
He really needs permanent clearance. It will help him identify countries that will give him money.
9
Ann
How so?
It's not so much a question of being granted security clearance regarding Kushner. The real question is: why it needed to be sought at all. Kushner has literally no experience in politics or government. He is, therefore, totally out of his depth, as he has demonstrated so far in his father-in-law's wobbly shadow. Then again, now that he is able to read some of the daily briefing material that Trump receives, perhaps he will be able to take a crack at explaining it to the latter. One can hope that's the case.
5
And still you're mincing around with the passive voice, NYT. Trump, not the FBI, gave little Jared his "clearance." Just say it already!
13
Blip
The FBI gives security clearances.
Security clearances change like the climate.
It's one thing for the commenters not to know anything about these clearances, but when the Times was run by Abe Rosenthal and actual journalists, anyone writing stories - not just the weekly political attack on Mr. Kushner - would have known that clearances change constantly.
The military or diplomatic person gets a higher clearance as she or he moves into a new event or activity for the department, and then lose that high a clearance when the activity is finished or they are re-assigned. Many see changes in the security clearance more than once a year.
What do they mean by permanent? Doesn't he lose it once daddy-in-law is out of office? What if he is found guilty of using his position for financial gain? These clearances should have to be reviewed every year to keep them honest & from becoming compromised by their positions & needs. I hope they get the keys to the WH back once this bunch is out of office.
3
Nope. They are going to have to change the locks.
Nostradamus Said So
Check with he FBI
Major error by White House staff and President. Trivializes the whole concept of security.
5
Ray
What do you mean??
Why do we need Mueller? This commenter will tell us everything we hired Mueller to find out, for free!
"Let US state the obvious: Trumpy colluded with Russia."
Maybe that's true; maybe it's not. With all due respect to that commenter, we'd like to see some evidence, not just a statement of what's "obvious" to that commenter.
It appears that security clearances are a dime a dozen.
4
Ann
No they are not.
Everyone, I believe Trump or Russian Troll is using name “Sarah”. Seems to be stuck on powers of FBI that it doesn’t possess.
2
Ugh!
The piggy bank is going to be broken again!
3
This has all been more Deep State nonsense. The democrats are terrified Kushner can bring Arabs and Jews together in the Middle East. They are terrified of this prospect. Obama set the world on fire and democrats can't stand to see Trump the Fireman putting out Obama's flames.
2
“Obama set the world on fire” is a dramatic but meaningless statement. What I’m surprised at, is the percentage of our population that such empty rhetoric it works on.
5
The number of "hot spots' when he left office was far greater than when he came into office. The statement isn't meaningless at all. That democrats blindly defend him...no shock to me.
Is the 500 million dollar Qatari bribe already forgotten? The son-in-law from hell will be the downfall of the Donald Trump presidency, mark my words.
5
I hope this security clearance is not the "ending a period of uncertainty" about Jared Kushner's status. There are a lot of questions raised by his personal financial dealings and foreign policy changes that seem unconnected to our national interests.
Moreover, huge debt by itself should be concerning for anyone asking for clearance.
I suspect we don't have all the information yet.
12
I’m guessing that the orders came from Putin himself.
11
Grpve
Orders for what?
Of course he got his security clearance, this is the mob WH of trump.
13
Several commenters insist we must know WHO granted Kushner's security clearance. The article doesn't identify those persons (other than to say they were "career officials").
But suppose those "career officials" WERE identified? Should they be punished for doing their jobs? If they'd turned down Kushner's application, would Trump supporters have a right to have them punished for that?
This is a bit frightening. I would not want to be one of those "career officials" right now.
5
Many long-timers said in 2008 that here was no way Barack Obama could possibly have gotten a high-enough clearance to read the things floating around the Oval Office had he not become the president himself.
1
My 3 Cents
The FBI grants security clearances.
It is unclear to me from this article what level of security clearance Mr. Kushner has.
3
Chris Rasmussan
Do you have a Need to Know?
You are the one who actually needs to read the quote you just pulled, Francis. Your points:
1. that the FBI completed a security clearance background check. This has nothing to do with actually giving him security clearance. The FBI merely have the background check results to the White House. We know nothing of what information that report contains. The FBI didn't make the decision; the merely provided the findings of their report. Get your facts straight please.
2. And just because the White House claim the "President" had nothing to do with the clearance doesn't mean it's true. Everything he and his people say are dropping with lies, deflections, deceptions. Do you honestly believe the president didn't lean in, pressure and push this clearance through? Trump bullies his way through life. There is no question he pushed this through, because no one with Kushner's business and foreign entanglements would be given security clearance for anything. Would you even trust him with your ATM code or bank password?
I suggest you try thinking more critically and rationally about the world. Read. Think. Listen. Check yourself!
8
The worse Trumpy gets, the more Republicans hide their heads in the sand. We Americans must never forget the horrors Trumpy in and the GOP have wrought on US.
Let US state the obvious: Trumpy colluded with Russia. Why? Because with Trumpy, it's all about winning, winning at all costs, no matter what Faustian bargain he has to make.
Why? That also should be obvious: because Trumpy is deeply flawed, pathetically egocentric . Whatever bad gene infected the Trump Family Gene Pool, it's metastasized
in this Trump. We're talking full-blown psychosis here.
What's even more worrisome is these troubling traits were evident and on full display a year and a half before the election. What happened? The more deranged Trumpy became, the higher he rose in the polls. The more viciously incoherent gibberish Orwellian speechifying Trumpy's rhetoric became, the greater crowd of deplorable racists and ignoramuses he attracted.
Trumpets found their Great White Hope, a tough-talking, mobbed-upped thug who spoke their racist language. Trumpy was their response to the First Black President. He accused Mr. Obama of the most libelous and slanderous crimes. How did Trumpy's flock respond? Spittle spewing from their frothing pie holes, they cheered this maniacal leader. They made him their Fuhrer. And they're thrilled with the havoc he's created. It's what they've wanted all along. And starting in November, they must be stopped, if we are to preserve this Union.
DD
Manhattan
9
Could someone please pass me a banana? I hear we have plenty these days, here as we now are in the "republic".
10
Wow, the near unanimity of intense anti-Kushner sentiment in this comment section is impressive. It would seem that "innocent until proven guilty" has been replaced by "guilty even after being found innocent". Astounding, coming from this end of the political spectrum. And even if a comment like this isn't censored, it is so beyond the pale that it is later deleted, as a previous one like this was. I guess freedom of speech is a fine concept, but if it means I can say that I think Kushner's clearance may well have been legitimate, that crosses the line.
Amazing.
3
If any of us omitted the magnitude of information Kushner omitted on his forms, we'd be in jail. But he's going to continue trading on national security information for personal profit.
God help this country.
8
You didn't cross any lines. Neither did anyone else in this comment section. Free speech is free speech. You don't mean to complain about your rights, do you? Anyway, you're from NY, toughen up.
If you could clue me in on a possible sinister motive for Kushner's making the omission and then notifying of the omission the next day, I'd be grateful. Until you do, I'll be foolish enough to think it was just the error of a secretary mistakenly submitting it before it was complete, as was made clear. And as to using national security information to make money, that's a conspiracy theory hardly worth dignifying with a response, and God help this country because so many people believe it.
We call this a "straw man" argument in the legal biz:
"This article is imprecise and cannot be called reporting. The FBI does not issue security clearances."
What's the easiest kind of argument to knock down? Simple -- an argument that hasn't even been made. The article doesn't say the FBI issued Kushner's security clearance.
5
Security has become a joke anyhow. Brief the people who will tell Trump what is being investigated, then the press will know a distorted view. Jared learns firsthand from fake dad what he should not know anyhow, and since no one cares, neither do I anymore.
1
I didn’t know that Fox news required a security clearance
2
The article doesn't answer these questions:
"WHO okayed this? Who granted the clearance? That's what we need to know."
The article does state that Kushner's security clearance was approved by "career officials," but it doesn't name any of them.
12
That is correct.
No one gets that information published. No foul.
We can expect more pay to play from Kushner now who is fleecing the American taxpayers daily.
13
“America First” hardly, this election and in particular the actions since then, “The Jerusalem Move”, pro settlement Ambassador Friedman, continuinually beating the drum for war with Iran, then Russia, todays subject of Kushner's “play for pay” security clearance approval being only a minor example, has proven beyond a doubt that America’s marching orders are being given by an unholy alliance among neo conservatives across the spectrum of American politics. This has been decades in the making, the billions poured into elections has finally paid off, the earmarks were fully on display when Hillary Clinton allowed Victoria Kagan into a position of power, she almost got the war the neo cons wanted with her actions in Ukraine. American citizens are being repeatedly spit upon by this very small group, Trump is paying off his markers, Kushner is doing the same, and who continues to benefit administration after administration, Ultra Orthodox Israel and their Christian counterparts in America , sort of a Bolton/Rumsfeld and Bibi/Adelson “Rapture” at the Wailing Wall. The sacrifices America makes for this nascent nation as our own country crumbles are insane.
9
Mossad needs as many spies as it can get in the Trump administration. Can't trust him because we have no idea where his loyalties lie, with Israel or with the US?
Just like Trump, where does his allegiance lie with Putin or the American people?
Son in law, like father in law,
10
So, he gets a security clearance. It was bound to happen, consistent with all the other happenings in this despicable government. But why does it have to be permanent? Once he leaves government and goes back to trading buildings, why then does he need a top-level security clearance?
7
Now that Kushner has his security clearance, he can start work on Middle East peace, and no doubt a Garden of Eden will arise in a few weeks.
7
now we can all sleep at night.
2
Jared and Donny, literally selling the country.
15
A proven grifter who has repeatedly lied on his security forms and hidden his finances from public scrutiny-----but now has security clearance. What could go wrong?
13
Isn't Journalism about getting the answers?
None of my questions were answered after reading this article.
Is Jared still working on Criminal Justice reform?
Is he making progress on the Middle East Peace Plan?
How about the loan Kushner Enterprises received from an Israeli bank on the eve of the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel Capital?
By the way you should ask Devos the status of her commission to end gun violence?
Or ask Kellyanne Conway about her progress on ending the Opiod epidemic?
I've have enough of the constant Mueller's speculation and distraction from the pain this government is inflicting on the country.
10
Oh goodness. Now I feel safe.
4
Looks like the checks and balances in our 'nation of laws' are now unchecked and unbalanced more and more.
10
Well, I am going to sleep so much better knowing that Jared is in the clear, and that peace in the Mideast is legitimately now in the hands of Trump's precious son-in-law -- a mediocre, Harvard legacy B.A. with absolutely no demonstrable background or experience in Mideast affairs beyond his real estate ventures with Qatar. The whole business is right up there with the old sitcom, All in the Family, except for the fact that our lives -- and those of others -- are in the Trump dynasty's hands. Looks an awful lot like deep-network plutocracy and oligarchy to me.
7
Oh yippee! Now Kushner can "securely" seek out more pay-to-play payments, oops I mean loans, from foreign nations.
13
Bad news for the Trump-hating Neo-Marxists writing for the NYT and the many thousands who read it: Can't get closer to the internal dynamics of the campaign than Kushner.
1
This does not add up. A person who sought an alternate communications channel with Russian officials and has shady business deals would not under normal conditions receive a Top Secret security clearance. Persons in the military would lose clearances for much less. Investigative journalists should be digging to disclose what actually happened.
10
Just another day in The World According to Trump.
This is a nit pik issue compared to the damage being done to the rest of our government, its integrity, dignity,and respect and and a total disregard for thr Rule of Law by our Dear Leader snd his minions.
Admit it or not, until the Republican "base" and its Congressional Leadership decide to put nation ahead of a their hijacked party, as it is now functioning under The Rule of Trump, this is the new normal.
That rule is totally narcessistic in its basis, where foul language, daily lies, attacks on the press, disrespect for other viewpoints, petty vindictiveness, nepotism, willing ignorance of our Constitution and self-aggrandizement drives all activity.
Since that minority GOP base and its spineless Congressional Leadership is not about to budge, November cannot come soon enough. If the people of this nation are too unconcerned or too lazy to vote accordingly to return to our senses, we deserve what we get. An ever growing cesspool: The
World According to Trump.
1
What an interesting use of the passive verb form.... "Kushner has been granted his permanent security clearance."
The passive is often used when we don't know who did it, or when who did it isn't important.
NY Times, who or what granted him the clearance? How did this happen? These are definitely important facts, and not to be hidden behind language tricks.
3
Kushner's lawyer said that Kushner was cooperating with Mueller. Is he cooperating or is he Cooperating?
Something smells here. His clearance was downgraded and now it has been upgraded. What happened in the interim ? How was he rehabilitated?
This was all orchestrated, and timed to dampen the revelation about his second , seven hour "session" with Mueller investigators. His lawyer was also on TV yesterday offering up his client as a paragon of virtue and cooperation .
I hope people appreciate the significance of his second session with Mueller. Nothing perfunctory or peripheral about that. All you have to do is lie once ( and Kushner lied countless times on his security forms).
Mueller made sure to stay away from the Kushner security clearance as he could have been accused of meddling i.e. if Kushner did not warrant a clearance than Mueller needed to reveal facts about an ongoing investigation.
Mueller has Kushner in his sights. Kushner is trying to present himself as cooperative and above the fray. People I trust all say the same thing about Kushner: he is dumb as a post and guilty as hell.
5
Fact - Trump is becoming more and more powerful every day. Things will be getting much, much worse for our country.
14
This article is imprecise and cannot be called reporting. The FBI does not issue security clearances. So who gave Kushner a security clearance. Trump?
The fact that he lied on disclosure forms over and over again was reason enough for permanent denial of a security clearance.
23
WHO okayed this? Who granted the clearance?
That's what we need to know.
19
Trump can grant anyone any level security clearance with or without FBI recommendation.
My understanding is that Trump granted the clearance, contrary to this reporting. Are updates with clarification and corrections available?
Does the SECRET Act play into this?
8
We need a special prosecutor to investigate this.
11
Kushner has no qualifications to serve in the White House.
He lied ….have we lost all common sense, integrity and honor?
It disgusts me that our honorable service members have to salute this despicable man. He doesn't deserve an ounce of respect.
We need real heroes in this country to challenge this deceitful administration before we are totally hazed over by the continuing charade.
23
Real heroes? We had one. Obama.
3
Exhaustion is taking over Congress... Obviously they can't think clearly!
We're doomed...
5
How is this even possible?
20
How did Donald Trump get a security clearance? His financial entanglements, foreign dealings, constant lying, his untrustworthiness, and certainly his scandalous personal behavior, are all grounds for rejection.
Oh, that's right. As president he doesn't need a security clearance.
Trump is such a profound security risk to the nation that anyone one in his orbit and especially family members, should not have a security clearance.
13
most people are pretty convinced that the twit did this and gave him clearance... and god bless him Rudy is spreading the word... that Qatar bailout really worked for the Kush
8
High security clearance to a highly conflicted individual? The common denominator for justice and decency just suffered a severe blow. All this while the rule of law is being trampled...on purpose, and in plain daylight. Who would have thought one can use, and abuse, the White House for private business and self-enrichment...at our expense. And the ultimate insult, trying to call all this the 'new normal'. I suppose that if the 'boss' acts viciously, his minions (subordinates in crime) may feel at liberty to act likewise. An outrage.
12
This really gives me hope that one day I too can get White House security clearance.
7
WHAT?!
What about all the foreign contacts he "forgot" to put on the form—more than once?
What about the information that he mentions his own business needs in government meetings?
What about his holding meetings with foreign leaders with no one else present?
What about the proposal to set up a "back channel" via the Russian Embassy?
This is ridiculous. There is no way this is not simply more corruption.
14
So let me get this straight. Three months after his security clearance was downgraded, Kushner suddenly is granted permanent top security clearance. The article is oddly vague about exactly who made the change or why, nor does it explain how someone whose financial situation clearly makes him a risk for manipulation could now be considered a safe bet. This story needs more investigation, to be sure.
13
NYT reporters must enjoy being gossip columnists. They fail to ask any meaningful questions about how a person like Jared Kushner coukd get a,security clearance after repeatedly lying about his contacts with foreign officials with whom he discussed financing needs of his business. NYT seems to live in the GOP alternate reality
10
They asked KellyAnne Conway, but the reporter left the scene after KAC's repeated insane logic flights and "I'm rubber and you're glue" arguments. They asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders and gave up after hearing about her coming out about having "the best information I had at the time." They didn't ask Rudy Guiliani at all.
6
Reporters were barred from a governmental meeting by the E.P.A. I do not believe this was done because our government perceives them as "gossipy."
OK. So, just who gave Kushner his security clearance? This article doesn't make it clear. Fox is reporting that Kushner wouldn't have gotten his clearance if all the issues surrounding the issuance of that clearance hadn't been answered. Of course, they leave out the fact that the President can do that just on his say. Is this the case here?
And NYT what's wrong with you? In the title to this story is "...Ending Swirl of Questions Over Delay" Really?! Hasn't ended my questions!
20
Full transparency for felons.
Opacity for the rest of us.
14
Did he (adequately) explain why he wanted a secret, back channel to the Russians, unknown to the State Department (and FBI)?
14
Sorry Trump haters -- you can't on the one hand say the FBI, when it comes to an investigation into Russia collusion, is impartial and patriotic and then, when they give Kushner a security clearance, claim they're fools or partisans who have been duped.
Bottom line: in this environment, if there was anything to the rampant speculation about Kushner's dealings with Russia or finances involving foreign entities he would not have been granted a full clearance. No chance
5
Was the FBI looking into the Kushner Properties that just got a bailout for 666 5th Ave?
7
How do you know that the FBI granted Kushner his security clearance and not trump, whom I believe as a sitting president (correct me if I'm wrong) can do so.
2
No chance? Of course there's a chance. We've just seen it.
1
Why? Besides being an incompetent, the fool has had dealings with enemies of the US. Oh, and since he is Trump's son-in-law, did we really think that NOT having a security clearance in any way impeded his access to all of the classified materials?
10
Of course the clearance didn't hinder him from getting all the info he needed to help out his frat buddy in Saudi Arabia.
3
This administration is so corrupt that the first thing that comes to mind is: Who did Trump threaten or intimidate in order to get the security clearance for someone who patently does not deserve one? Kushner's enormous real estate debts and deals with foreign bailouts are suspicious enough! But then, that means nothing to a president who blithely took a $500 million bribe from China last week, does it?
26
If this ends questions about Kushner’s trustworthiness...
3
Strangely conciliatory article which for me raises more questions than it answers.
9
I held compartmentalized, top secret security clearances for over four decades and know very well what is required to get one, to keep one and to respect its purpose. The only reason Kushner is getting ANY clearance, much less a Top Secret clearance, is because he is the son of a corrupt
President.
The "Clown Prince" (as he is called by the Saudis) has had to revise his answers over forty times, has been caught meeting with adversaries who want to subvert U.S. elections, has tried to set up an secret means of communicating with the Russian Ambassador to avoid our own counterintelligence from hearing what transpired, and then used his position to strong arm a loan out of a foreign country who had been an ally of ours-- all of this is treasonable in any other time.
The Republicans who accepts this ruinous behavior should be held accountable-- perhaps rotting in a jail in a third world, authoritarian country like Venezuela. They disgust me.
23
Kushner is the backdoor to the President, an official version of Michael Cohen. To install DJT as president, early in the campaign, Israel offered services of former intelligence operatives through Joel Zamel , who "was an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation". Israel is Trump's boss, working financially on the extended family's need for loans to stay solvent.
11
Once again the Onion has managed to write a story that has been published in the NY Times. Jared Kushner with a security clearance and a high position in the executive branch of the American government? Priceless. Where do they dream up such stories? Best satire since Jonathan Swift wrote about starving Irish children.
4
I for one am relieved that Mr. Kushner has gotten his top-level security clearance. After all, in a rational world, a slumlord married to the daughter of a con artist should have access to all the nation's secrets.
13
The clearance comes from trump. Period.
I'm betting Clown Prince Jared is wired for sound.
4
Whew. Good to know the last obstacle to peace in the Middle East has been resolved.
4
It begs credulity that the President had nothing to do with this. Trump is so pathological he can't keep his distance from anything that pertains to him or his extended family - even one so disposable as Jared.
2
Wait a minute, Liberals, including most of the respondents to this article, have been howling about the overall integrity and character of our intelligence agencies , especially since that has been seriously criticized by President Trump for ‘Spygate’ .Yet when they do something you don’t like, such as give Kushner permanent security clearance, the whole thing is a mess, or worse. Sort of highlights the obvious...
1
The obvious being that Kushner has no legitimate reason to be anywhere near the White House, let alone be an adviser except the fact that he's Trump's son in law. Also, he accepted a huge amount of money from Qatar for his real estate investments. It's a conflict of interest.
4
Wait a sec.....if Trump orders something, the order is obeyed. Tune in for the outrageous meeting between Nunes, Goudy and the IC. Another Trump order. Don't blame the collapse of our institutions on Dems ringing the alarm.
1
A conflict of interest? You really think so?
I am heartened to learn of Mr. Kushner receiving a security clearance to have access to the information he would need to execute his job as Senior Advisor to his father-in-law, Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America. Although I am not a proponent of nepotism, which his appointment to the position is clearly an example, I am glad that he will have access to the information. Most Americans, who have never held a TS/SCI security clearance do not understand the investigation and dedication process required to receive such clearance. Because of Mr. Kushner’s extensive business dealings, with contacts around the world, it is only reasonable that the investigation took as long as it did. The fact that Mr. Kushner got the clearance means that there is nothing shady in his back ground. As Mark Zaid, one of the nation’s top lawyer in security clearance issues, remarked last night on NPR, he is sleeping a lot easier now. That same NPR report noted that Mr. Kushner went through nearly 8 hours of interrogation by the Mueller team, investigating so-called Russian collusion in the 2016 Presidential election, in which Donald J. Trump soundly defeated his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton. As far as I am concerned Mueller is wasting his time with Mr. Kushner; the security clearance investigation did not find any nefarious activity which would have disqualified him. His foreign contacts turned out to be OK, if not, he would not have been granted a security clearance.
2
As a clearance holder, as well as a former manager who had to give hurtful information on a clearance applicant, I learned a valuable lesson: it is the gaining agency's choice whether or not to accept a flawed clearance candidate. Hopefully, OPM has changed the process, and Mr. Kushner really is clean.
@JL,
Thank you for your reply. I agree with you. In my experience, I knew of derogatory information about co-workers that would raised concerns during periodic reinvestigations. I was never interviewed though on them. Yes, I hope Mr. Kushner has been deemed clean, otherwise his clearance is the result of a process which I believe does work in the favor of some and against others. Cheers!
Of course he is.
In principle, this clearance is a travesty, given Kushner's original failure to comply with application regulations and his sketchy connections and financial transactions with foreign powers. In practice, the clearance probably changes nothing, given that his father-in-law (or wife?) have, in all likelihood, leaked classified information to him.
4
Please check the accuracy of this report. The source must have been either the WH or Kushner’s spokespeople, because Kushner would never have been given a security clearance if Trump hadn’t given it to him. Rep. Don Beyer spells this out on Twitter as do others. You’re going to need to correct this.
6
No one with his problems and evasions should ever have a security clearance.
10
So Jared Kushner, along with his family, is over a billion dollars in debt, he "forgets" to cite critical information on his first security clearance application, and has sketchy ties with Russian oligarchs yet is now privy to all of our government's secrets. This make a mockery of the entire security clearance process that so many applicants to high level government or private defense sector jobs must go through to get hired – for months, records are scoured, even old acquaintances are interviewed, the application is scrutinzed for anything questionable. Plus, applicants are warned that even the slightest error could be cause for disqualification. With Kushner's clearance, the entire process has now been revealed to be a sham.
7
It is my understanding that Mr. Kushner was given clearance not by the FBI but by the White House. With the loans Mr. Kushner is seeming to get from countries that do not have our best interests at heart it seems to me that he is more of a risk than not for blackmail. I see nothing in Mr. Kushner's current or past behavior which indicates he has the knowledge or interest in doing anything other than enrich himself, much like Mr. Trump. Again, the fox is loose in the hen house and the rooster let him in.
4
According to CNN, Jared Kushner was granted a permanent security clearance after a seven-hour interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who questioned Kushner about topics the Mueller team is investigating. Therefore, Kushner’s security clearance indicates that Mueller is satisfied Kushner did not participate in an unlawful conspiracy with Russia or other countries to influence the 2016 presidential election. Since Kushner participated along with Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort in the Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, the clearance also indicates that the FBI does not regard the Trump Tower meeting as unlawful collusion. This leaves George Papadopoulos’s unsuccessful efforts to arrange a meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the strongest evidence of collusion; however, it is not unlawful to arrange meetings with foreign governments during political campaigns. Both candidates met with foreign heads of states during the 2016 election.
1
You are assuming the FBI gave the clearance. Trump did.....covered by the smoke of the Mueller meeting to make it appear 'OK'.
Yet another example which must not go unremembered.
Everyone who is appalled by this continually self-serving political environment must not become numb. Everyone who knows that this must not continue, must not let the distractions blur your focus.
November cannot be just another month and election day cannot be just another day.
Let this further motivate you to spread the word and get others who feel as you do, to get to the polls.
VOTE the November!! That is how we can begin to put an end to this atrocity.
5
It's a mistake to assume that Kushner's clearance came through the usual IC channels. Kushner's security clearance was granted through the White House.
1
Mr. Trump granted the clearance despite all other agencies saying he was a security risk. The corruption and the order of magnitude in this administration is horrific.
I just wish a signifcant majority of the population would realize this. Where is the outcry from legislators? Responding on social media is one thing but a majority of the population needs to hear the criticism come from an authoritative, public body like the leglslature. If politicians do not take a stand on this corruption, many citizens will think there is nothing wrong with it. Legislators have to speak out loudly and give speeches in the Senate and Congress.
74
This was my first thought as well, but the article specifically mentions that Trump wasn't involved:
"Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the F.B.I. background check, and the president was not involved in the process, according to the person briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because clearance decisions are supposed to be secret."
1
Trump is nothing more than an egotistical, self serving bully.
But it has become quite clear that there are no true patriots to stand up to him.
3
I am a retired Fed who holds secret clearance. Some of the reasons clearance can be denied is excessive debt as it makes you open to blackmail. With Kushners family finances, blackmail is a real possibility and a real probability clearance would be denied. Also if you lie on your SF86 which Kushner did omitting all his foreign contacts, again clearance would probably be denied. So why was he given clearance? The answer is he clearly should not have been. Its a disgrace to all us Feds who legitimately have clearance and shows the total disregard Trump has for policy and procedures.
101
The FBI obviously concluded that Kushner family finances are not suspicious and that he did not lie on his SF86. Many federal agency heads with similar portfolios have been granted security clearance.
Would you care to list a few for us here?
For Trump, Case et al. facts don't matter
At this point it is hard to know what is real. Are defenders of Kushner simply Russian bots working to spread discord? Is he in China's pocket? Or maybe Qatar's? Is his security clearance simply a White House plot to distract from the ongoing corruption and lawlessness of this administration? Or was this trump simply deciding that he should get clearance? The inmates running the asylum? What is clear that is that continued operation of this kleptocratic, corrupt, thugocracy that we now call an administration is destroying the country. We will not be able to explain to our children and grandchildren how we threw away our democracy and our planet. If this continues we all face a dystopian future.
26
Too true! What really gets me is that we're all getting exhausted by this instead of rising up in arms. We should be having general strikes and tax rebellions until this criminal enterprise is put down.
2
Apparently, the Deep State does exist...it's just not the omnipotent evil entity manipulating the system for its own nefarious purposes certain conservative loons like to portray it as; it's the bending of the rules the rest of us mere mortals live under by the federal apparatus to appease whomever might be in power as a means of self-preservation.
10
Last I heard Boy Wonder Diplomat Kushner was fiddling with U.S. Middle East Foreign Policy so he could get a loan from one prince or another, to save his endangered 666 New York building from foreclosure. MAGA?
32
Do we allow surgeons who don't have a medical license to operate? Then why did we allow a rank amateur with zero experience in diplomacy and no security clearance to be anywhere near the government and performing "diplomacy" without a license?
Kushner is a zero as human being. A spoiled rich kid married to a brainless rich kid clothing promoter daughter of another spoiled brat child feeding at the trough of the American government via taxpayer dollars.
35
People need to read this story a different way.
This could be FBI/DOJs way of letting the Trump Family mafia fight amongst each other.
Knowing well the Kushner Family’s trait of revenge (hello, Chris Christie!), this will allow Kushner the hubris to take Giuliani apart.
Remember, Giuliani said Kushner “is disposable”. You think Jared has forgotten that? Forgiven a man talking creepy stuff about his wife?
Let them tear each other apart.
For all we know, Kushner is still a target... maybe even wearing a wire :)
20
Really, for the guy who tried to set up a secure backdoor communication line with the Kremlin with the assistance of the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador to the United States? So he and Trump could talk to the Kremlin free of eavesdropping by American intelligence and security services? So there would never be a record of what was said?
Yeah, that guy.
Hard to believe that after so many errors and omissions on his security clearance forms (probably intentional), he was granted clearance. How many times can you lie on forms and then just file new amended ones after you get busted, and then get what you seek? After you (essentially) lie ten times, doesn't that disqualify you?
31
So finally Jared's good to go? Another chair adjustment on the deck of the Titanic. Just in time for Mueller to tighten the noose even tighter. Good to see that Fredo and Ivanka will be around for the final roundup, humiliated along with the old man, the worse president in history. Down they all will go, better to hang together than hang separately... the last gasps of a wretched family and a horrible time.
DD
Manhattan
15
I am happy forKushner, but he still is not qualified for the job.
1
I guess this gives him "official" permission to go around the world flapping his gums.
4
On balance isn't the bottom line that Trump himself is a traitor totally under the control of Putin and Xi via loans that prop up his fake businesses and money laundering operations? So really, it matters only marginally that the rest of Trump's clan is corrupt as well - so are all his associates. We have a mob presidency.
16
Jared Kushner is or acts as a sphinx, i.e. a treacherous and merciless creature. The way how he advices his father-in-law on the affaires in the Middle East tells everything about his character and (lack of) intellect.
7
"It was highly unlikely that the special counsel would uncover evidence of improper foreign entanglements and not flag it for security officials."
What if he did flag it for the security officials?
Has not pressure been brought to bear on practically every corner of the government, in service of protecting and masking the criminality of the president?
Why not the security officials?
I don't mean to foster conspiracies. I'm just tired of watching Trump trumping the NYT, reporting the fake news that Obama spied on his campaign in order to help Hillary win (even though she didn't, and even though the FBI bent over backwards, to protect his campaign not only from Russian infiltration, but even from the news of the investigation itself), at the same time I'm supposed to wrap my mind around Jared being cleared, even though he is palpably ineligible, and accept that he is essentially "cleared" of any legal jeopardy, simply because the NYT assumes that Mueller would have "flagged it."
I think Jared got his clearance just in time. There is a hurricane brewing.
11
Well, and there you go, again. Kushner's moral character stands for nothing, His qualifications for the job stands for nothing.
All you need is the title of a loyal member of the DJT La Famiglia.
Yup, it just keeps getting worse and worse. What comes next? Renaming our country from The united States of America to maybe the Trump Nation of despicables?
12
As if a security clearance means anything in the Trump administration. I am sure Kushner gets all of the information anyway. And Donald Trump can't keep his mouth shut.
15
This is a fluff piece that tells us nothing, except that Jared Kushner now presumably has a full security clearance, which is ridiculous in and of itself, as there was nothing to stop him from getting that info straight out of old loses-lip’s mouth to begin with. This is a PR stunt by the White House and like all other stories involving the gang of thugs in this administration, the truth will begin to come out over the next few days. Who put this story out to the media? Who personally pushed for the clearance? Who’s arm was twisted at the FBI? Was it actually the FBI who gave the clearance? A little more meat on the bones is needed here.
15
This horrible family will oversee the decline and fall of the American empire. But since Gibbon is not around anymore, who will write the book about it? My guess is either Jon Meacham or Tom Friedman.
5
Well praise the Lord and and pass the perdition, clan Trump can now officially do more damage to America.
20
This is beyond absurd. Someone, probably in the White House, put his finger on the scale. If an ordinary schmo did what Mr. Kushner reportedly did on his SF86: lied about his foreign contacts - repeatedly lied - he or she would be denied a security clearance - period - full stop - do not pass go - do not collect two hundred dollars - just pick up your toys and go with the nice security officer as he or she shows you the door - just go away. But no, the President's son-in-law is granted access to our nation's most sensitive intelligence documents. There is nothing more to say - a documented liar has been given the keys to the kingdom because of his relationship to the president.
23
So if we are to believe that the FBI is to be trusted, well then his clearance should not be a problem.
Right now the press=Liberals=Democrats love the FBI and CIA ,
right?
1
If you’re a Trump supporter, *you’re* the one who doesn’t trust the FBI. So why should you believe them when they declare that Kushner has passed their background check? Aren’t they part of the “Deep State”?
1
@Joe Paper: First of all, generalizing that all liberals are exactly the same and hold exactly the same opinions about every issue is patently absurd. Many different opinions circulate among liberals, and we are not always in agreement with each other.
Second, it is clear that Trump just attacks anyone who gets in his way or tries to stop him from doing whatever the heck he wants to. He doesn't care what lies he tells, because he's become so coarsened over his lifetime that he's become inured to shame. He has found that bullying, threats, and intimidation work wonders for him, so he just keeps on bullying, threatening, and intimidating. The fact that the federal government is collapsing under his continued assaults proves that there is no such thing as a "deep state."
If there were truly a "deep state," then the thousands of individuals who all work for the government would stick together so tightly that no one individual would have anywhere near the power to cause the damage that Trump has, in fact, caused. Trump's assaults on law enforcement, the judiciary, and the Justice Department have damaged the rule of law in this country, and America will be lucky to survive.
You do know that two of the items on Putin's 100-year-plan is to first separate the US from its democratic allies, then break up the US from within, don't you? He wants revenge for breaking up the Soviet Union.
If you love conspiracy theories so much, why don't you look into that one?
trump: Keep Gitmo open. You, your son, and son in law may be able to "see Mar A Lago" from your prison cells...!!!
16
Once again NYT, do journalism, not toadyism. When IC officials were asked about Kushner's new clearance, they DID NOT confirm that it had gone through the normal vetting process, but that the 'client' had approved it. In other words, the President.
Tell the truth NYT!!!!
18
Kushner asked to use a secret channel from the Russian embassy to the Kremlin -- he admitted asking Russian spy chief Kislyak in Trump Tower -- a meeting Kushner denied until he got caught. Kushner is presently extorting the Quataris to bail out 666 5th Ave., same as Kushner extorted the Japanese on 175 Pearl St. The only access Kushner deserves is a pass to his father's old cell at Leavenworth.
13
The fact that he lied multiple times on his disclosure form should be an automatic disqualifier. In normal times I would say that Congress should investigate but we all know that they are to busy running interference for Putin to do their job. I guess it's up to the NYT to look into it.
14
Ok it’s official. Democracy in the USA is DEAD.
If crooked Kushner can get a security clearance with his lies and background, what’s next day care donny president of the this country.
Whoops.
Ok it’s official. Democracy in the USA is DEAD.
13
How typical of our evil president to bend whatever laws already exists to his own advantage.
If Trump isn't impeached, I hope he and his family suffer shame and are ostracized socially for their rest of their lives.
12
With these words "Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials..." The New York Times becomes the official spokesperson for the most corrupt administration in U.S. history.
The FBI does not "approve" for security clearances. It investigates and reports. Approval rests in another entity, specifically here, the White House, most specifically the current POTUS.
13
The presidency as the new family business,hmmmm. How can we as the American public look the other way at breaking federal employment statutes. The idiocrat continues ignoring U.S. Code › Title 5 › Part III › Subpart B › Chapter 31 › Subchapter I › § 3110 5 U.S. - Employment of relatives; restrictions.
Not to mention the seeming complicity by homeland security in approving Kushner’s clearance. Any illegal campaign past and future activities can now be muddled in the name of national security.
This is not the U.S. Government I worked for, subject to Title 5 for 40 years.
Little by little our ethics in office are dissolving. We no longer have an Office of the President, but a franchised branch of “La Cosa Presidente”. Jared is a “Made Man” again. Whoopi.
The good news, and what I really think is another ready fire aim, is that all “Wise Guys” are under even more heightened security surveillance because of their clearences.
7
Looks like that puts to rest all the wild liberal conspiracy theories about Jared Kushner
The odds of getting a full security clearance if Mueller has found something on him are zero
Was Jared on your ballot? If so, can you tell the rest of us his qualifications?
If only the I.R.S. would allow citizens the ability to periodically amend returns as ‘new information’ was uncovered or........recalled. Which also leaves me wondering; if he so casually ‘forgets’ meetings with foreigners and large movements of money, how on earth can he be trusted with anything??
Honestly, it sounds like he should have his mitten clips on the sleeves of his coats.
8
"Honestly, it sounds like he should have his mitten clips on the sleeves of his coats."
Made me smile
Chris Matthews calls the Trumps THE ROMANOFFS. Really, how sad that this naked nepotism has come to us with a real estate whatever inherited from his father (who incidentally had to go to prison) can end up with so much power. SAD!
p.s. I know, I know...but at least RFK was a lawyer and did good things!
6
Romanoffs? I think that Borgia is a better fit.
1
Security ?? Ha !!!!
Mr. Jared is VERY secure, marketing All-Things-Trump, and creating pay-for-play for access to the White House.
As an American, I am appalled that Trump Towers are being built in India and the Middle East, while Jared lines up the for-profit deal for Trump Real Estate - all the while "acting" as a "Public Servant". The President of the United States is a Public Servant. His Staff should not be allowed to use White House influence to peddle and sell for profit their Trump Towers, Gold Courses and stupid hats.
There HAS to be a violation of ethics and conduct here. There are so many stinking clues that they are impossible to miss.
But, "our" FBI gives him a clearance ?? We KNOW Jared met with the Russians to get dirt on Hillary. Who knows who else he spilled his "permanent security clearance" secrets to ??
One more time, our American Nation is looking more and more like "the Hunger Games". This is sick, and getting sicker.
10
Many of those posting here who are upset about Kushner having a security clearance are probably the same people who saw no problem with Hillary Clinton's private server. Or Hillary's aide, Huma Abedin, storing email on husband Anthony Wiener's computer.
So, I assume by your comments therefore, you have serious problems with Mr. Trump's use of non-secure cellphones for his calls and his tweets? I, for one, approved of investigating the issues with Clinton's server, and would like to see Trump's usage investigated as well.
On a second point, I wonder how the Trump organization and/or businesses would have dealt with an applicant who lied and/or did not fully disclose on a job application. How many extra chances would they have given?
2
whataboutism.
BTW: if you're still upset over that private server baloney, you must be popping an aorta over trump's insistence on the use of unsecured cell phones to make all his calls. Apparently, a secured line is a big inconvenience.
2
@Reader: Well, let me know when there is solid proof that Abedin asked foreign governments for millions of dollars in loans to save her failing real estate deal, or secured a major manufacturing deal in China for her ex-husband.
The Republican party has no integrity. They are just as crooked and immoral as Trump and his cabal. Rules only matter for Democrats. Obama couldn't tie his shoes without Republicans screaming themselves hoarse. Yet, Kushner repeatedly"forgets" to properly and accurately fill out his security forms (that's illegal, by the way) and Republicans could care less. They're utterly sanguine no matter how Trump and his gang of grifters, sleazeballs, white supremacists, pedophile bankrollers, Russian oligarchs, Saudi princes, and incompetents run our nation into the ground while selling it off piece by piece.
Republicans are happy as pigs in slop.
10
It is 166 days until November 6, 2018. Although words fail me when I scan this article, let's focus on the real culprits in this nightmare, the Republican-controlled House and Senate and vote them all out of office. Let's focus on the crimes these elected officials have tried to do over and over and over again and send them packing. Sure sTRUMPY and his ilk are complicit, but it is those goons on The Hill that have allowed the contagion to spread. Schedule your vacation day now if you have to. 166 days.
8
So....the security guys bowed to pressure from Donald Trump and his Master, Putin.
I'd like to say I'm shocked, but this is par for the course when you get a Manchurian Candidate in the White House......
8
Flummoxed is my reaction.
8
Kushner is the backdoor to the President, an official version of Michael Cohen. To install DJT as president, early in the campaign, Israel offered services of former intelligence operatives through Joel Zamel , who "was an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation". Israel is Trump's boss, working financially on the extended family's need for loans to stay solvent.
9
Let us be mindful of the facts that Qatar Refused to Invest in Kushner’s Firm and that Weeks Later, Jared Backed a Blockade of Qatar and that even today Vanity reported that 'The Kushners Are Finally Getting That Sweet, Sweet Qatari Cash...' and that 'Qatar, under siege, opens its pocketbook to help save 666 Fifth.' Is it any coincidence that the White House has changed its position on the blockade and that Kushner just received his "permanent" security clearance?
To me it seems that Kushner has finally been granted a top secret security clearance as he has no met the standards of corruption required to get one within the White House. Is this any reflection about the actual moral and ethical standards which activate the actions of the current FBI Director Christopher Wray?
5
The two faces of Jared Kushner:
Face One (the face he thinks we will buy). Golly, I'm so new to government, I've never filled out one of these long, complicated forms before. My staff did such a bad job on the details, but golly gee, I've fixed it now by getting back to you every time you called me on what I failed to disclose. My business and political dealings with foreign contacts are so complicated and diffuse, I'm having a hard time staying on top of it all, being so new to government. So don't hold the many times I've amended my security clearance against me.
Face Two. I've got this vast portfolio given to me by my (he be the best!) father-in-law. Shucks, I'm so flattered he's asked me to bring on world peace and make the government great again. So many miracles, so little time. Of course I'm up to doing all these things while walking and chewing gum. When my father was in jail for fraud all those years, I kept the show running . . . . Wait, I didn't mean to say that.
6
So, now that Jared and his father-in-law were successful in shaking down the Qataris to save the Kushner real estate empire, all is well and he can be trusted with the nation's secrets once more
6
So we've learned of several MORE illicit, secret meetings between Kushner and Qataris offering him cash to refinance his boondoggle property at 666 5th Avenue, and Kushner and other foreign government actors meeting secretly to do who knows what, and now he gets his security clearance BACK? What's wrong with this picture? EVERYTHING. Time for Mueller's "come to Yahweh" meeting with little crooked Jared.
7
Reading most of the comments in this comments section I have to warn all those 'destroy Trump' people here they await a nasty surprise. This NYT echo chamber is NOT the real world. The President's approval rates are going up, as are the GOP ratings compared to the Dem's. Thanks to the extreme left views in this section on this and other articles, ordinary liberals are worried about the Dem's. Those moderates distrust the extreme left, more than they hate Trump. They will put the Dem's candidates on the same level as those loud mouthed 'destroy Trump' people. So they won't vote for those extreme lefties and will conflate them with the ordinary 'moderate' democratic candidates. Those will be the real losers. The conservative voters will register in greater numbers than before. A guarantee for a second presidential term. So keep on commenting like this, and I prefer you ad some more venom please.That makes it even more ridiculous.
1
@Gunter: Well, does that mean that from your vantage point in Ghent, the Times readership - which numbers in the millions and resides all over the country, as well as in many other parts of the world - does not reside on planet Earth? Where exactly do we live, if not in the "real world"?
The real world, as I see it, is a dense and complex place full of people with differing opinions. Polls numbers go up and down for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes polling is done in very skewed ways, and as we all know, statistics and facts can be cherry-picked and presented in deceptive ways by anyone who has an agenda to push.
The real world, however, is full of real people, and right now, many of us real people are actually out walking blocks and talking to our real fellow citizens to determine what it is they want from government. I'm one of those people, and one thing I'm learning from knocking on people's doors is that there are a huge number of people who wish Trump would shut up and go away, but who don't want to get involved, because politics have become so adversarial and unpleasant.
Stop reading papers and watching TV. Go out and ask as many strangers as you can what they expect from their political representatives. You'll start to see what I'm talking about.
The world is waiting, that Kushner brings peace to the Middle East.
1
" In addition to his work on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Mr. Kushner acts as an intermediary with Mexico, is pushing for reforms to federal prisons and is working on revising the North American Free Trade Agreement."
A very busy man indeed. I wonder where he finds the time to pay back the $500 million in real estate loans he and his family reportedly owe.
5
To turn a political lightweight into a "senior adviser" is so funny. What a nice move back into medieval times.
7
Ok. Let’s all apply for security clearance and see what happens!
7
Does his dual Cyprus-US Citizenship factor into the equation? The bolt hole provided, courtesy of Oligarchs and Qatari paymasters.
4
The price of arranging a meeting with Jared just went up.
2
“ unique campaign.” Interesting way of describing one of the most racist, intolerant and plainly filthiest campaigns in Recent American history... it reduced all of us! And what did we end up with? The result of all of those things.
6
He owes money to foreign interests all over the world. What could go wrong?
4
Is there anyone in the United States - Democrat, Republican, Independent, or non-voter - who actually believes it's a good idea for "Jared Kushner" to have permanent security clearance to view America's most closely guarded secrets?
"America's Most Closely Guarded Secrets," the Trump's new hit reality show, starring Jared and Ivanka, Fridays @ 8PM on Fox, right after Roseanne.
4
Dear Matt Apuzzo, Jared Kushner wasn't 'granted' security clearance. Someone granted it to him. Let's name names and offices.
6
The only thing I can think of in the sheer ludicrousness of this action, is that our intelligence services are attempting to lull this compromised, sinister criminal into a false sense of security so they might glean more incriminating information.
There isn't a single good or honorable thing associated with giving a security clearance to this individual. It's obscene, laughable and totally unacceptable.
4
Another step toward the monarchy for the heir apparent. Then we can get rid of all this silly voting business. Families can marry off their daughters to bind alliances. Oh, forgot....Trump already did. Guess that is why we were able to declare where the capital of Israel is. The other benefit is that now Kushner can get all the background he needs to play let's make a deal with foreign leaders, line his family's pockets further, and say that he is really just doing his job because he is so diplomatic.
Sorry. I don't buy it.
2
As the vicious pretender becomes more comfortable and confident in his mission to ruin America expect more unbelievable condoning of the impossible. Critical speaking out about the shady Kushner has nothing to do with anti-semitism but much to do with evidence of his behaviors. his shopping for loans while holding a position in the White House. The mixing of politics and business is wrong. Quid pro quo with dictators is wrong. We just need congress to regain their moral compass and speak out!
Vote in November.
3
"Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the F.B.I. background check...according to the [anonymous source]."
Mr. Apuzzo seems to be trading access for kid-glove treatment here: What "career officials" ok'd the clearance? None at the FBI, though a reader could easily make that assumption from Apuzzo's anonymously-sourced sentence.
In fact, last year Rep. Nadler asked the FBI to clarify who would approve any Kushner clearance, and in a May 11, 2017 response the FBI stated the White House would (and normally does for all staff), after an FBI background check. Why not spell that out -- that it's the WH giving access, not some (inferred) FBI "career officials"?
And how about asking *why* the WH did so, given Kushner's repeated "mistakes" on his form, not to mention secret meetings with Russians? Or did the anonymous source trade some "what" news for the omission of the "why" variety?
3
Let us be mindful of the facts that Qatar Refused to Invest in Kushner’s Firm and that Weeks Later, Jared Backed a Blockade of Qatar and that even today Vanity reported that "The Kushners Are Finally Getting That Sweet, Sweet Qatari Cash..." and that "Qatar, under siege, opens its pocketbook to help save 666 Fifth." Is it any coincidence that the White House has changed its position on the blockade and that Kushner just received his "permanent" security clearance?
To me it seems that Kushner has finally been granted a top secret security clearance as he has no met the standards of corruption required to get one within the White House. Is this any reflection about the actual moral and ethical standards which activate the actions of the current FBI Director Christopher Wray?
51
About time. If Donald can blab intel to Russians and keep his security clearance, why punish Jared for a few clerical mistakes? If peddling WH access to the countries their extended family needs for funds hasn't got them all tossed behind bars, what's a access to high level information?
2
Given J Kushner's presence at the meeting with the Russian agents that Mueller is specifically investigating. Kushner has plenty to worry about in September when Mueller announces whatever info he has about Kushner.
It is eyebrow-raising that Kushner's security clearance he is granted given how prominently Kusher centers in Mueller's investigations.
2
Whether Kushy was cleared or not, he has certainly had access to Top Secret information. Apparently, so have the Russian visitors to the Oval Office. And Trump’s lawyer considers Kushy “disposable”. What’s the big deal?
3
"And Trump’s lawyer considers Kushy “disposable”.
What? Which lawyer would say that? Giuliani? Provide a quote please. Trump will protect Jared for about a dozen reasons, in addition to Jared being husband to his daughter.
1
"Jared is a fine man, you know that," the former New York mayor said. "Men are disposable."
May 3, 2018 · Rudy Giuliani called President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, " disposable" — and warned that special counsel Robert Mueller should stay away from Ivanka Trump.
So Kushner gets his security clearance a la the Donald (probably), but really, I think many of Trump's problems within the White House started with Kushner's advice. One thing for certain with Trump's talent for self inflicted troubles, what seems to be a solution, may end up being more of a headache.
5
I demand an investigation of the investigators who gave Kushner a security clearance.
16
Just the pre-inauguration back channel drama should have been sufficient to prevent a security clearance forever.
Kakistocracy, much.
12
So much for the vaunted Top Secret security clearance process of the FBI. In this I see a parallel to what happened following the Supreme Court's 2006 Bush vs Gore case. Both are the sorts of eye-opening decisions that lead to historic erosion of public trust and respect.
10
This is my over-riding thought too. It sets a precedent regarding granting of the highest level of security clearance that makes the USA govt look shaky.
1
Is Trump involved in any way - as he can give anyone
a security clearance?
4
Clearance application filed "inadvertently" apparently time after time as Kushner "remembered" more and more foreign contacts. But I guess he's no more a security risk than his father in law.
8
Just more proof that there are indeed people in this country today who are above the law. If any of us had Kushner's background we wouldn't get clearance to serve lunches in our local elementary school.
Much more of this and we'll be forced to admit that we are living under a dictatorship. I don't suppose I'll ever understand how the likes of someone like Donald Trump was able to pull it off.
10
Yes. It speaks to our weakness in the face of multiple personality disorder.
Or worse, our ability to reason to be overtaken by shiny objects and chimeras.
2
One thing that bothers me about this news is that the Times and other prestige media had earlier given me the impression that Kushner's failure to receive a security clearance would be permanent. There was considerable glee at the time over the spectacle of his humiliation and his consequent lack of usefulness as a presidential advisor.
That all seems to have been premature. Perhaps not unlike the satisfaction that the media loudly derived from earlier courtroom rejections of Trump's immigration bans. Those also seem to have survived, to very subdued media notice.
I don't like to believe that I am reading the Times for wishful thinking.
6
I feel like the disposable son-in-law flipped and cut a deal with the special council.
3
"Ending Swirl of Questions" is not how I would describe this scenario.
5
Jared Kushner personally solicited "back channels for secure communications" with the Kremlin.
Why is he being given preferential treatment? What exceptional set of qualifications does he bring to the White House that would warrant giving him unrestricted access to all our state secrets and intelligence treasure trove?
Or was it his father-in-law who unilaterally granted this access to him, in what would amount to another example of abuse of power by an illegitimate leader beholden to Putin -- proving, yet again, that once we get out of our present predicament, Americans need to enact new laws tightening up loopholes & limiting the opportunities for an corrupt leader to avail himself of such levers of power to do harm to US interests?
5
I'm as confused as anyone. There had to have been some backroom arm twisting going on. A recruit wouldn't even be allowed to join the Army if he or she had pulled Kushner's stunt. It doesn't make any sense. Unless...
I have two crazy conspiracy theories to float.
1) The White House was banging on the door demanding to know why Kushner's clearance was held up. Providing the answer would compromise the Mueller investigation or other intelligence more than giving Kushner a pass would endanger national security. They gave him the pass.
2) It's a trap. The intelligence community can't track the leak of classified information if the suspect isn't viewing any classified information. The CIA could for example pass fake information along to a suspected spy, they then wait to see if the fake information turns up with contacts abroad.
Like I said, crazy conspiracy theories but they make me feel better. I prefer to have some explanation to explain the senseless, even a fictional one.
6
Apparently getting a security clearance doesn’t mean anything anymore. The deep corruption in our government is far worse than we know. Giving a security clearance to Kushner is a clear example.
9
"I would like Trump to call on his publicly mute son-in-law to be more transparent ."
Are you referring to Trump's future felon-in-law?
As the saying goes, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
1
Hoping and expecting the US will survive post-Trump. In what condition will remain to be seen. Inauguration Day 2017 marked the neo-Dark Ages. I’m 64 years old: may I not regret what lies ahead...
5
Great. Now the back channel will be up and running again.
Have we no defenses against this viral infection of Russian origin?
Have our past presidents list the ability to pen a joint letter.
Apparently the answer to both questions is yes.
4
This pretty much settles the "collusion" question. After an exhaustive search, the FBI found nothing in Kushner's activities that would disqualify him from a top security clearance.
9
That is very unsettling.
1
Settles nothing. When, and if, any substantial proof is found then Fredo could have his clearance revoked.
Hardly.
2
Every time I see Jared Kushner, “the president’s senior adviser” it really reminds me how troubled our nation is.
When a 30 something year old son-in-law with absolutely no government experience, from a family background of corruption, becomes a senior adviser to the president - isn’t that a hint that something is a little, and more than a little, off?
This isn’t even done in the numerous Hollywood presidential TV series shows.
38
And when a 70-something-year-old with absolutely no government experience, from a family background of corruption, becomes president - isn’t that a hint that something is a little, and more than a little, off?
4
I wonder if all those red hats who voted for him are happy that they NOW have crooked Kushner as an OFFICIAL advisor to their self proclaimed sexual predator?
3
Sounds like a description of the Kennedy family.
What is the punishment for someone who has a security clearance who then betrays our country? Is that a better outcome than belatedly denying the clearance?
9
The punishment? Well, for one there may be vacancies in Florence, CO...
1
No one believes that "career" government officials granted this clearance.
35
Right now he get's the permanent clearance? Someone put pressure on someone, otherwise this wouldn't be possible. And the timing is awfully convenient.
22
How is it possible that a private citizen under investigation by a congressional committee seeking information about foreign intervention an compromises in financial matters receive security clearances and at what level? Who applies for this level of clearance and who grants it? Incredulous. Will have to read this more closely.
21
As an employment law attorney,I have represented many Federal employees who lost or been denied security clearances.In reading this article,I think about all the Federal employees who lost or were denied their security clearances because they didn't disclose a relatively unimportant fact on their security clearance applications. Yet Kushner gets his clearance after failing to disclose much important information on his application and amended applications. So unfair!
33
It is more than unfair. It begs the question of "how did Kushner get any clearance at all". I would like to know how it happened, perhaps this was issued by 45 and not by the FBI? This is yet another example of something rotten in the district of Washington.
The anonymous White House source could be giving out information modified by the inner circle. It's possible that "career" FBI staff did not clear Kushner, but that Trump insisted he get the status anyway. (The President can unfortunately confer security clearances on whoever he wants.) Another possible scenario is that Kushner wasn't granted any security clearance, complete or incomplete, and that Trump and Kushner are doing whatever they want to do because they can get away with it. The press seem to be naively buying that he has it. I actually wonder if Kushner has flipped and is an informant against Trump. (Well, it's a fun fantasy . . . )
20
Is there anyone on this planet who believes the Kushner does not represent a security risk to the US? He may not be a 'spy' but he certainly is another very weak link (in an administration of weak links) through which our adversaries will gather sensitive information. His re-investigations will be difficult for both him and the team of investigators.
19
There are two words which seem to be unquestionably accepted in the US and yet arouse always suspicions in me; secret and love. The question is if Mr. Kushner is qualified to have an office in WH and not if some bureaucratic procedures allow him access what is called the secrets. Was fixating on the latter perceived just as a last resort against him or a resonance of what seems to be the persistent persecution of Hillary Clinton?
1
I don’t see any mention of the specific clearance level granted. He could be cleared at “Confidential” (the lowest level) and the WH could declare victory; but JK still would not be allowed to see Secret or Top Secret docs or be involved in discussions of matters classified higher than Confidential (even if he did have a “need to know”).
3
When Kushner's clearance was held up, liberals championed the process. Now that the result of a full investigation does not agree with their predilections, they are ranting (see comments to this article) about the travesty of it all. Anyone who has gone through the process of obtaining a Top Secret/SCI clearance and has many colleagues who undergo the same process knows that your personal circumstances having nothing to do with your worthiness can lengthen process, especially if you have foreign family or financial connections that require more extensive investigation. So the delay was meaningless, but the conclusion is meaningful, but liberals have suddenly decided that they know better than the investigators. They want Wonderland justice--first the verdict, then the trial.
3
You are wrong about that he and others are still under investigation and until he is cleared of any charges in a court of law he should not have any security clearance.
2
He went through the process and failed it by lying continuously. Then Tramp gave him clearance just because. Even a conservative should be able to see that, Chuck.
2
Unfortunately, the president can bestow security clearances on anyone he chooses. Which us "liberals" (substitute 'patriots') find abhorrent under this particular administration of lies, obfuscations and ignorance.
3
This approval, given the facts about Kushner that are already public, leads to one of three possible conclusions:
1. Despite everything we know, Kushner has actually done nothing that would warrant withholding this security clearance. This is pretty hard to believe and if it is the real basis for approving his security clearance, the process is broken, corrupt or both.
2. Outward appearances notwithstanding, Kushner has been cooperating with Mueller. NAW - that is pretty far fetched.
3. Kushner is in up to his neck and granting the security clearance was necessary to protect the Mueller investigation. Everybody has been saying Mueller would have reported any serious issues to the FBI; so, since Kushner got his clearance there must not be any issues. I disagree.
IF we have a Russian traitor for President, then it is perfectly reasonable to grant Kushner clearance. What greater harm could he do than a corrupt President? It seems far better to protect the investigation at all costs.
Whatever the outcome, I hope the results of Mueller’s investigation are airtight - one way or the other. Anything less will tear this country apart in ways we can’t yet imagine.
12
A few months ago I read all of the thousand-plus letters to the editor about Frank Bruni's column on Jared Kushner, and 97% of them were negative, among which not a few were demonstrably antisemitic. This time I have had the stomach to read only twenty. Though not one was antisemitic, they were all negative. Considering twenty in a row to be a decent sample, I'm not reading any more now. I haven't seen a word about Kushner's success in diplomacy with Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. I haven't seen a word about his clean-cut appearance, soft-spoken manner of articulating his thoughts, and love of his wife and family. And yes, love of his father. All readers might well be reminded of the New Testament adage paralleled in rabbinic sources, "People see the mote in their neighbor's eye, but not the mote in their own eyes" or the one in the Mishnah of Avot, "Judge a human on the scale of merit." Critics are blind not to see Jared Kushner's merit.
11
I have not read through all the comments, but surely it should be possible to be critical of Jared based on his performance. The lack of any real result coupled with the difficulty in ruling out him benefiting from his position makes it difficult to give him any credit. I am open to learning about some real achievements, but history will be his judge.
42
" I haven't seen a word about Kushner's success in diplomacy with Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. "
Those successes are?
3
Perhaps they are not antisemitic. Perhaps they just don't trust his judgement, character, honesty, integrity based on all they have learned of his actions in private business that have carried over into public service.
I, for instance, don't have a log in my eye. I consider myself completely unqualified to run peace in the middle east, re-negotiate NAFTA, and advise the president on international policy or international security. I consider Kushner to be as qualified as I am.
And I consider myself a lot less likely to be corrupt or corruptible. Money is the root of all evil, and the Kushner projects seem to chase a lot of questionable sources of money.
When we accuse others of having a log in one's eye, we should first remove our own.
3
It's outrageous Kushner has been granted clearance given his shady foreign contacts and business dealings.
And I don't understand why journalists and reporters in news media haven't corrected the deceptive way the White House is presenting this security clearance. The White House makes it sound as if Kushner was cleared by the FBI. That's not true. This security clearance was granted by the White House, undoubtedly pushed through by the president.
This article merely states that Kushner has been "granted permanent security clearance." Why wouldn't the journalist and editor explain what that means in context, or at least include a clarifying disclaimer "by the White House"?
62
Excellent observation!
The article does make it sound as if the FBI had cleared him! They may well have filed a report raising questions, without a recommendation either way.
I suppose, though, that had they raised red flags, or even recommended against clearance, the White House would have hesitated to grant him security clearance. Given the leaks in D.C., the FBI's report or key findings would have come out further embarrassing (if that's possible) the Trump White House.
4
If you would read the article.
“Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the F.B.I. background check, and the president was not involved in the process,”
Because the “journalist” doesn’t want to be denied “clearance” either.
3
Wait..what???trump gave Jared the security clearance.Are you kidding me???Is there no end to the misdeeds in the WH???
40
If Jared was not family there is zero chance that anyone would make him a senior adviser or that Jared would get a security clearance.
68
Exactly. He has way too many conflicts of interest and in any past administration would have been kicked out by the properly functioning mechanisms to prevent nepotism.
2
Whatever. This is not within the 100 top most significant issues for this Administration. It is ironic that the explanation used the explanation given by the FBI and experienced white House hands for the reasons it hadn't been granted:
"White House officials were adamant that the lengthy process was not unusual for a government official who has a complicated financial history and many foreign contacts." However, his supporters left out HIS omission of information necessary to a thorough vetting.
Should he later be found to have conflicts of interest, which compromise his ability to represent the country, it will appear that the President has compromised the functioning of the FBI.
In the meantime, I would like Trump to call on his publicly mute son-in-law to be more transparent . .
19
That's a relief. Despite telling lies multiple times to the FBI about Russia contacts including trying to open a back channel (5 year sentence for normal folks); revising forms multiple times when omissions were flagged; using official channels to get loans; arranging Presidential contact for said loans on a pay-to-play basis, it's good to know that this government official can continue to act with impunity on our behalf. He can now use his considerable experience to continue negotiating peace in the Middle East (well done so far); solving America’s opioid epidemic; diplomacy with China; reforming care for veterans; reforming the criminal justice system and of course reinventing the entire government and making it work like a business. Way to go Jared - good luck on that 666 5th Ave snafu, you can fix that in your spare time.
86
Actually, he's already combining the two! Changing long-standing U.S. foreign policy in the Mid East to curry favor with countries who can bail him out on that property!
SAD!
1
The FBI merely provided information (which remains unchanged except for even more infractions); Trump granted the security clearance. Trump knows that the walls are closing in, so he has become even more reckless than usual and is going for broke. BTW, it doesn't matter whether Kushner has clearance or not - Trump gives him full access to everything anyway. This is a lawless administration that adheres to no laws, rules, norms or code of ethics. It is, in the truest sense, a crime family.
111
Oh good. Now Jared can get on with solving all Middle East problems. I feel much better and safer.
45
He can work with ivanka decorating the new jerusalen embassy. add that to his portfolio.
1
No doubt his father in law ordered that he be given the clearance! I’m not buying it. The President has no respect for security or anything else. Kusherner is nothing more than a kleptocrat. His loyalty is to his own profit.
62
Did the Qatar government pay for his security clearance too?
70
The country is less safe today than it was yesterday.
40
Actually it feels a lot safer with the current administration in charge.
I think even Strozk and Page, the comical FBI couple admitted in privately redacted texts that “they wished” Obama would be more of a Take Charge guy on security matters.
You know, rhat basic underlying responsibility of any president.
I see no where in this article where the FBI said that they have cleared Jared Kushner. This article refers to White House staff and a Washington lawyer. How did Kushner get clearance?
57
It's official, this is all one big circus now. A grotesque circus....and we the People should be unanimously ashamed.
38
Was this accomplished through payoff or intimidation?
And it hurts right down to my soul to ask seriously this question.
31
Does anyone really believe that the father-in-law did not, and has not, given to the son-in-law classified information in the past two years? If you believe that, you would also have to believe that Donald Trump respects the process. Hard to imagine Trump telling his son-in-law, "You can't see that," We can't discuss that."
31
Why? How on earth? Did Trump just muscle this through sheer executive will?
18
The horrible thing is this probably will not make anything any worse.
8
Democrats in Congress are saying that the decision was made by the WH alone, without input from the FBI. In which case, Kushner is not in the clear by a long shot.
26
The big question can Jared still be subject to blackmail, money issues, or asking for a back channel? 666 may still be his downfall.
14
This is clearly just a way to keep Trump at bay until the axe falls.
11
Perfect - another swamp creature, grifter becomes legitimate.
19
If I was wealthy, I would leave the country while Trump, his family, and his minions are in the White House! They are destroying our democracy little by little! Nearly half the people in our country are either too uninformed or too stupid to recognize that Trump is obliterating all that is good for ordinary Americans!
31
Will his security clearance be suspended when he is indicted?
21
I read a great book years ago by a guy named George Orwell. He called it 1984. I believe he got the title wrong by 34 years.
27
Before 1984 Orwell wrote another goodie, "Animal Farm." Missed the moment by even more years , but captured it perfectly as well. BTW, you must be wondering about "Alternative Facts," and 1984's "Newspeak." MAGA?
1
What amazing "coincidence" that 3 days after Trump makes threats & forces Rosenstein & Wray to rush to the White House, his son-in-law is suddenly granted permenant security clearance. These people are CRIMINALS.
22
First, wasn't Kushner's initial interim clearance rescinded because he omitted information from his initial application for clearance?
Second, the article mentions his responsibilities as " In addition to his work on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Mr. Kushner acts as an intermediary with Mexico, is pushing for reforms to federal prisons and is working on revising the North American Free Trade Agreement."
Does this mean that his other responsibilities, including re-inventing the Federal government's technology and managing US foreign policy with China, have been reassigned to someone who is actually qualified for the role?
If so, that would be refreshing.
13
Good now go let Crooked Kushner broker peace in the Middle East like we were promised.
6
Wow, hard to find a single comment that doesn't express outrage at Kushner's security clearance. The possibility that the people making the decision did a thorough and honest investigation and concluded that he should be given clearance goes completely against everything they KNOW. I won't try to convince anyone. It's like arguing about religion.
4
The country is being run by a criminal enterprise, period. It may as well be run by the mob.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, will change unless and until Democrats take power and prosecute every. last. one of these disgusting human beings. From Trump to Sanders to Miller to Kushner to Don Jr. to Ryan to Nunes, ad nauseam. They all need to be charged and tried for treason.
17
Wow, some good news for the Trump Administration. Donald must have let the FBI do its job.
1
This is insane. A man who has colluded with the Russians to manipulated the Presidential "Election "has been granted permanent, top security clearance.
Are there no sane , responsible government officials who can put an end to this madness, before it's too late ?
7
And the crime family get deeper entrenched in our government. Shame on the American people for allowing it to happen.
8
Another WH cover up and con job. Sad. They continue to get away with it only to take advantage of their power. This aristocratic, insanely greedy family has no honor. Save our country Mueller...
9
Maybe Jared's security clearance will help him get a nice custodial position while serving in the big house.
8
Head of laundry at Rikers.
7
This is just the sort of thing that gives nepotism a bad name.
13
Actually shaking down other foreign countries besides Russia and selling our government and world reputation to enrich himself and his ex-con father is probably even worse.
1
The rest of us would have been fired for lying, and lying multiple times, on the SF-86.
20
Sophomoric venal Jared Kushner, available at a price to Qatari nationals with a political agenda, sets the bar for obtaining permanent security clearance at an absurdly low level. The realpolitik of the Trump administration is accessibility and consequent government favors if the money is right.
16
I miss the days when "assistant to President" was a job that very smart people with long resumes fought for. Folks who knew how the machine works and had a long view.
Ideology aside, we literally have a pick up team with the local punks running government. Who elected Jared ? I have honest and trustworthy Republican friends, all of whom are appalled at what is in the White House.
Amateur Night at the White House....where's the hook ?
10
Kushner files perjured security forms. He amends them. Amends them again. Yet again. And again.
The man is a compulsive liar who accepts bribes from foreign powers (like, most recently, his shady Qatar deal to bail out his failing New York building). He’s obviously a blackmail wish and a security risk to our country.
How does such a person get security clearance?
19
Has Jared any shame. What is the purpose of him hanging around ?
There must be some deep trouble for him to finally get security clearance after one and half year.
But we know the whole family are shameless and are swindlers trying to drain US of A of any pride we are still hanging on to.
7
We will investigate Jared and how he obtained his ill-gotten clearance on January 21st, 2019. Tick-tick-tick.
10
The security clearance of jk (just kidding) reminds me of all the past world dictators, whom had their families immeshed in the business of government. How about the Marcos family in the Philippines, sound familiar. How many shoes do ik and jk own? These people should not be anywhere close to having security clearances or have a say in US government policy.
4
I think is wrong a person like Jared Kushner gets Security Clearance, but it is probably because Trump's government is very corrupted, and shameless.
11
I feel so much safer now that the nation's security secrets have been shared with a sleazy slumlord.
9
Trump , Jared et al are doing a better job “ burying “
this country than Nikita Khrushchev ever dreamed , in league with the patriots and christians !
8
Put all of the events this past week into perspective and one word stands front and center: Treason.
Americans, as the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) once said, "Boys, we've ratted out!"
6
In what possible way has the credibility of this self-serving boy gotten better in the last 365 days?
7
There is no reason to believe Kushner was cleared by anything tother than presidential arm twisting, bribery or threats. This is where we are.
10
This guy's father went to jail. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His real estate businesses are being investigated. What a sham of a country.
11
Kushner is probably guilty of nothing but being in over his head. If DT want him and Ivanka to move back to New Your, he should and with dispatch. He should run back and never look back.
5
The fact he lied repeatedly on his forms should have DQ'd him immediately.
This government is corrupt; the will of the people is being ignored. Does anyone care?!
11
Jared is not a security risk??? Not after his meetings with the Russians (including the idea of back channels), his possible financial conflicts of interest that make him vulnerable to all kinds of pressures, his bungling when meeting with Chinese officials... and so it goes with Jared.
See:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/29/jared-kushner-is-chinas-tr...
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/jared-kushners-conflicts-o...
This makes me wonder exactly what is the principal question that the FBI is trying to address in these security checks, and what kinds of activities would indicate a person did not "pass" his or her security check?
Would someone not named Jared Kushner and not related to his boss, the POTUS, pass this security check, if this person engaged in the same kinds of activities meeting with foreign governments and had similar kinds of financial conflicts of interest as Jared has?
If Jared can pass with all his secret activities and conflicts of interest, I guess almost anyone could pass, especially if Trump demanded it.
Deeply flawed and dangerous, if this sets a precedent for future security checks. Who can possibly have confidence in this process to "protect our country"????
12
It is somewhat obvious that most career FBI agents were fired, resigned or moved to a different division. It is terrifying to say that an individual like Kushner got cleared by FBI. Who is next? Putin, XI?
6
What? How can this be happening? This guy does NOT deserve a security clearance.
I hope The Times can get someone to explain this because it makes no sense whatsoever.
18
Not from the FBI, however I can bet the answer with a high probability. Money.
Is this part of the security community's deflection tactics
to throw Trump off guard, and then strike later after the many reports that Mueller is going to publish?
1
My sister-in-law is a professor at Cal Poly. She tested nuclear silos. We all went through the security clearance process. Neighbors were asked about us. We were clean, not billionaires. The fact that money can parley a security clearance when substantial issues have not been cleared is mind-numbing. I don't understand. Either riches benefit the procurement of a National Security clearance pass or Mueller has not disclosed the findings/evidence against Kushner. Nothing makes sense these days. Nothing.
37
Jared Kushner has not been cleared by the FBI for security clearance. Donald Trump has changed the rules - giving him clearance without passing any kind of vetting.
Which is unsurprising considering that Kushner seems to have not only had many contacts with foreign agents of influence, but has been selling influence and policy changes for the refinancing of his crumbling family empire. Like father and father-in-law, like son.
44
Security clearances may be revoked. What is permanent is that an individual granted a clearance abide by all the security requirements until the information is declassified.
8
Why is a very important fact left out? Trump granted his security clearance. Journalists, we are counting on you to report the entire truth. I hope you can rise to the challenge.
119
Yes, the passive tense in the first sentence doesn't explain who granted Kushner the clearance.
Then, later in the article, "A White House spokesman did not respond to a message seeking comment. Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the F.B.I. background check, and the president was not involved in the process, according to the person briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because clearance decisions are supposed to be secret."
I hesitate to believe anything that the executive branch says.
1
Trump probably gave Kushner the security clearance,
like he can un-classify any secret document.
The truth is out there.
2
It always seemed to me that if Jared wanted to know about something secret, he could just ask the president. Can you imagine the president showing the discipline to tell a family member, sorry, that's a secret? Ridiculous. Early on, we had Trump shooting the breeze with foreign diplomats at his country club and people at other tables were able to listen in.
39
right. Security clearance? kushner don't need no stinkin' security clearance. He's got djt.
4
President Donald Trump is the most disciplined individual to have ever held the office of President of the United States. Healthiest, too.
I should stop reading the headlines. Getting tired of every news story starting with the phrase, "Today, Donald Trump ..."
Even Morning Edition on NPR begins their broadcasts that way. Not a great way to start the morning.
1
JR
FBI grants security clearance.
Give Putin the clearance. Trump has already assured us that his behavior is no worse than American behavior.
27
cm
Putin is not an American citizen.
Like Trump's "spygate" which is Trump's liegate.
Spygate is Liegate (sounds poetic).
1
Putin is a spy in the mind of Trump.
Liegate.
Some months ago there was a brouhaha over this and Jared's ability to see top-level intelligence was supposedly curtailed (I have my doubts that it ever really was, but I digress).
They let some time spin by to let the furor die down and of course in the interim there have been dozens of horrendous policy enactments, outrageous scandals, and egregious ethic lapses which serve to distract and take your eye off the ball.
Now all of a sudden the golden boy is in the clear and back to being privy to the most sensitive information the government possesses, the pretense being that it takes time to process someone with so many complex business arrangements.
There is no need for pretense - we all know what went down and the statement that Trump had nothing to do with it is just another in a very long list of lies that emanate from this White House daily. Perhaps the most upsetting part is that they are so blatant, so cocksure, and so certain of complete immunity.
Whatever happened to the rule of law?
51
I'm even more concerned about the system of checks and balances that should exist among the branches of government.
When President Obama was in office, the legislative branch opposed much of what he attempted to do on behalf of the US.
Now that President Trump is in office, the legislative branch just seems to do his bidding. The question is, why follow the "leadership" of someone who is clearly unqualified and who reverses his pronouncements within minutes to days?
It appears that the FBI and the Justice Department have caved in to the new Trump Party.
This country is in serious trouble.
59
There could be a covert tactic to shake off Trump
into a type of safe zone, then indict Kushner later
in the Russia investigation.
1
What has Kushner done for the country as the "senior adviser to the President"? Is there factual evidence?
Apart for securing Qatari, UAE and Chinese investments for his firm, and moving the Embassy to Jerusalem with (needless) loss of life?
40
So he was allowed to slip secret intelligence to the Saudis and still get a security clearance. Puzzling at best.
45
Cathy Donalson
Who told you that??
Trump's sons are left in charge of his businesses instead of a blind trust, and he gives his son-in-law and daughter jobs in the White House b/c their qualifications are ... the only people he trusts and can also profit from their WH associations. No tax returns disclosed, etc etc. and Congress says nothing.
The executive branch is now a full-fledged profit and corruption center thanks to this family of grifters. The USA is at its nadir, perhaps, but we can't be sure, because things keep getting worse by the month with every newly revealed outrage. Wake up, citizens.
58
What a surprise! He was given a security clearance; I thought possibly he might get a prison sentence especially in light of the above comment.
2
Mary Ann
The President and family members who work in the White House do not take a salary.
The citizens you want to wake do not read this newspaper. Alas.
2
Where are the protests about this outrageously corrupt action to grant Jared Kuchner permanent clearance? And where are the objections to Kuchner's having any role to play in international politics?
This Republican dominated Congress will go down as the most corrupt in our history. Each and every politician has failed over and over again to do their duty in both the Senate and the House. They have been well paid by the NRA, the Koch brothers and others to behave and not exercise their obligations to their constituents by stepping in when Trump abuses the privileges of his office.
26
As was reported earlier this year (see link), the FBI can recommend against a security clearance, but ultimately the White House decides whether White House staff should get one. So the White House decided to give Kushner a clearance. That’s the same White House that lets Trump use an unsecure phone, looks away while he divulges state secrets to the Russians in the Oval Office and makes foreign policy decisions with countries that line his pockets through his businesses. That’s the same White House that capitulates to his endless bullying and threats. So the White House gave Kushner a clearance today. We know as much about whether Kushner is qualified for one as we did yesterday.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/porter-security-cle...
36
Read this comment thread from top to bottom. The vast majority of Americans who are paying attention have already reached the conclusion that our security clearances and our federal government are thoroughly corrupted and essentially for sale. Even those who nominally support the current administration; for some twisted reason they seem to admire these players' ability to game the system.
Read it, think it through, and then act, and vote, accordingly. Please.
39
Can anyone please explain any reason that this is NOT an indication that we are at "game over", that the FBI has not also caved to the whims of our Imperial President? Between this and the disclosure of the confidential source, it seems law enforcement has chosen to abdicate their responsibilities to the America people.
Is is really that bad?
18
Imagine Moments
This is America.
Get your facts in order. There is no such thing as a permanent security clearance. They have to be renewed every five years.
19
Only in the Trump administration does 'not currently charged with any crime' equate to 'qualified to do a job with which he has utterly no experience and no distinctions higher than having seen members of the presidential family in pajamas or less.'
23
I don’t trust any of them with our nation’s secrets. Especially when doing so enriches them personally.
58
Linda
Enriches them. How so??
He’s not trustworthy and I specifically take issue with his pitching via his sister and company, a real estate deal to the Chinese immediately after their visit with a promise of White House access and expedited citizenship for investors. That followed his wife getting a huge marketing deal for her products to be sold in China. All unprecedented and disturbing if anyone cares. There’s a question of ethics here as well as clear conflict of interest. His involvement with the huge unprecedented arms deal for Saudi Arabia is an area where he had zero qualification. I question the Saudi relationship to the Trump family businesses before and after that arms deal. This doesn’t pass the smell test. Trump had a personal and business relationship (bought his yacht) with notorious Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and his daughter is dear friends with Trump and family. I ask you America. Do you trust Donald Trump with United States top security much less his son in law? The Saudis. supported financially Osama Bin Laden 911 creator. The Bin Laden family paid an allowance to him while they did business here in the U.S. in Florida.
Think Kushner won’t do what his mentor Trump does and buddy up with or reveal top secret information? He sure will betray us for personal gain. That’s Trumps appointment. It’s terrible.
55
Do really trust any politician? Good luck with that.
1
It's simply inconceivable that he would have received clearance without substantial political pressure exerted on those administering the clearance process: the mere fact of his family firm's ongoing difficulties and negotiations with lenders - never mind non-US lenders - should ALONE be enough to result in his being denied clearance. The clearance process evidently is one more casualty of this norm-destroying presidency.
37
Josh
FBI grants security clearance.
Jared was given security clearance. What is in the public record should have disqualified him. What is happening to our country?
27
Interesting observation by a commenter who seems to know:
"Not likely that the Special Counsel's investigation, which is sealed, would have any bearing on the background investigation."
Sounds sensible, but I note it conflict with the observation of Mr. Zaid, quoted in the article, that the special counsel (Mueller) would certainly have told the security clearance people of any wrongdoing by Kushner that he'd uncovered. The obvious implication of Mr. Zaid's observation was that Mueller had not found any wrongdoing. Are you saying Mr. Zaid was incorrect?
4
Please bear in mind, Mr. Kushner has to "amend" his security clearance application 41 times (at last count). Anyone else in the country, certainly after the second time the clearance would have been simply denied.
But her emails.
76
Yikes. So much for hoping the FBI would help save us. Our only
Hope is the upcoming elections. I’m wondering if we could streamline the whole voting process by simply mailing our ballots direct to Moscow.
23
I’ve had a secret security clearance. It took about 6 months to be issued and I took it very seriously.
My fear is that by giving JK a clearance that DOD is “dumbing down” its standards for, not only his, but security standards across the board.
I don’t think he should have any level of clearance.
23
Exactly! The very public success of Jared's "oops strategy" of failing to disclose information on his screening form and then filling it in bit by bit as his omissions are discovered speaks loud and clear. It says: There's no penalty for failing to disclose. You might as well try it if there's something incriminating you hope they won't find out about.
13
Look at the super rich people play their games. Again and again and again. Face it, no one is looking out for the vast majority of us. Our country is a corporate oligarchy, a complex one, yes, but for those of us not in the multi-millionaire club, we're pretty much out of luck.
37
Unbelievable. To those of us that have high clearances, and aren't the son in law of the president... well we wouldn't have them if we participated in his activities.
28
Jared Kushner is as corrupt and venal as his father-in-law, both of whom belong in jail and as far away from power as possible. I simply don’t buy that it was only career officials who granted him this very suspicious clearance. I am a retired US diplomat with 34 years of service. Never, never, never would a career employee with Kushner’s history of documented activity and “incomplete” (to put it mildly) security clearance forms be granted a clearance of any type.
I have seen several distinguished employees be sidelined in their careers for some extremely minor indiscretion that resulted in a lost clearance. We all accepted that reality as a necessary condition of our employment to assure absolute integrity in all of our dealings.
And now we have a president and his staff who mocks those values and those virtues on a daily basis. Our democracy is in deep, deep trouble and anyone at any level who looks the other way and continues to support Trump’s treasonous leadership is complicit in its destruction.
74
"Our democracy is in deep, deep trouble and anyone at any level who looks the other way and continues to support Trump’s treasonous leadership is complicit in its destruction."
Thank you. Your timely warning ought to be posted on billboards throughout Trump country.
1
Where in this story does it say that the White House, i.e. Trump, granted Kushner his top secret security clearance, not career professionals at the FBI? Seems like a significant element of the story.
12
So he finally gave up all of the information of his many meetings with Russians that he tried to hide for months and now he has access to all of our nation’s secrets? Well, that makes perfect sense.
9
Makes you feel really safe, doesn't it?
I think for this and many other reasons, the first new, legitimate Administration (should there ever be one again) has to assume all secrets, sources, and methods have been compromised and we'll have to start again at ground zero. That'll take decades, such is the extent of damage done by this President and Republicans in congress.
21
How can Kushner get clearance? On what criteria was it granted. He has been involved in very questionable business deals and is not divested from his real estate business. He attended meetings during the campaign with foreigners seeking to corrupt our election and in Trump Towers of all places. It is incredible that he got cleared. The process smells of another level of a Trumpian corruption.
24
Does anyone doubt that the “career bureaucrats” who gave Kushner his security clearance weren’t facing severe pressure to reach the decision the Trump regime demanded?
Career bureaucrats do have Civil Service protection, but political appointees can make their lives miserable. Put them to filing papers in a basement. Assign them to inspect fishing licenses in the Aleutian Islands. You get the picture.
Frankly, I don’t think that anything that happens these days in Washington is credible. Kushner has no credentials to be anything more than a door guard, but he gets his desired clearance that will enable him to do even more financial deals with foreign operatives.
18
Among the many things we've been taking for granted with presidential candidates is the idea they can pass a background investigation. This entire election fiasco and the subsequent Mueller investigation could have stopped trump in his tracks before he ever became a serious candidate.
10
How can a man who was trying to set up secret back-channel communication with the Russian government, away from the prying eyes of US security, possibly be eligible for any security clearance at all, much less a high-level one?
The unevenly-applied standards must be hugely demoralizing for those who take their security obligations seriously.
15
As I recall, Winston Churchill and FDR set up back-channel secret meetings with Russians. Every government does it with every other government sooner or later. Time to wake up.
1
All of the Trump clan seems to put personal gain above national interests so none seem like good candidates for top secret clearances. In the case of Kushner, I would not be surprised if he would divulge secrets to the Israelis if he thought it would further their cause. He and his family are just too ardent of supporters for right wing Israeli politics to be trusted with US secrets. That concerns me more than the lack of candor on filling out forms.
13
Great news. That should mean I get the top level clearance. (Just don't peek at the old SDS membership files, and I am good to go)
14
I wonder which "friends" are indicating that the president wants his family to return to New York, without their names I call fake news. This president does not appear to me to be someone who would not tell them directly to go home. More highly biased reporting by this so called professional news paper.
4
Really?
Trump has not directly or personally let anyone go, so far.
For a loud mouth who loved to say "you're fired," he's fired people via tweet, via the media, and by having others do the job. He's shown himself to be unable to deal with anyone face to face.
Remember all his bluster about having Mexico pay for his wall? Yet when he met with their president he didn't even mention it. He's all talk. A classic coward.
2
What Security Clearance did Kushner get? I have read articles in several sources and none specify. To be a member of our Armed Forces you must have at least a Confidential clearance. To be an officer, at least a Secret clearance. This article says that a Top Secret clearance is normally required to be present at the briefings Kushner attends, and that is true. But for over a year and a half, even before his father-in-law was President, he attended such briefings with NO clearance at all.
Trump's communication section is claiming that neither Trump nor any other politician exerted influence to obtain this clearance. However, nobody credible has offered to back up this unlikely story.
81
That would be a compartmented top secret, which means if he demonstrates a need to know, there is absolutely no information withheld from him, save the nuclear launch codes.
This is just absolutely disgusting. Where I work we have to adhere to a code of ethics and standards of conduct we are expected to follow; and as a director I am held to a higher standard of conduct. Apparently the buffoons in charge of our government don't have even the most elemental code of conduct. How are we not to be frightened when the likes of kushner can be granted security clearance?
115
Why doesn't Kushner's participation in a meeting to receive campaign information from a Russian spy as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump" disqualify him from a security clearance, especially such a high one?
99
That was a private lawyer, with no official Russian government job, at least that is my memory.
1
While your memory is technically accurate, it is highly misleading. She is not technically a government employee, but her clients are, and she is a self-described "informant".
8
Your memory is flawed. She has recently admitted, and it has been widely reported, that she is intimately connected with Putin's government Why on earth do you think she was in the meeting to begin with?
3
So when Mueller drops an indictment on him for colluding with the Russians and taking bribes from the Qataris will he get to keep this security clearance?
94
Kushner already has access to sell any information that he chooses. security clearance is just a formality.
63
We know Kushner has extensive "entanglements" with agents of Russia and other foreign powers, which he initially "forgot" to disclose. Would an ordinary government or defense-contractor under those circumstances successfully complete an SSBI and receive a Top Secret clearance? Also, why do the investigators consider those "entanglements" consistent with trustworthiness to receive access to highly classified information?
The fact that Kushner now has a clearance raises serious questions about the efficacy of the investigation and clearance process.
69
I am glad to see that you agree with Trump and "that there is a serious question about the efficacy of the investigation and clearance process" and those that conduct such investigations. Finally, we agree.
2
Don't get your hopes up. I suspect there's more here than meets the eye.
If Jared Kushner was applying for a high-level job in the private sector, his so-called complicated finances and lack of full disclosure would deem him to be disqualified. So much for transparency.
97
It really is hard to believe that with all I've read that Jared Kushner would ever be allowed to have a security clearance.
I worked in the DOD for 32 years, for the first 8 years I was a cartographer with a Top Secret clearance with compartmentalize access, not everyone was allowed to have security clearances at our facility, some had to work in a unclassified area for ever.
I knew people who had much less issues or conflicts that were never given or had clearances revoked, some fired.
I know there is no way back in 1980 that someone who lied multiple times of meetings with Russians, and other shady business meetings or dealing with Russian bankers, or Middle Eastern types, would have ever been given a low level secret clearance based on Kushner's vetting issues.
168
I work with cleared folks and it's frankly hard to fathom how he was able to get it. Unless it's a ploy to charge him in the future for going out of bounds.
17
I don't know and I can't believe he ever received a clearance in the first place, then what about Ivanka?
This is the most disturbing and disgusting abuse of the Federal Government in my life time and the Republican Congressional Leadership is totally complicit in this farce.
Not likely that the Special Counsel's investigation, which is sealed, would have any bearing on the background investigation. Right now, they just want to make sure he's not susceptible to coercion or prone to sell out the United States for money.
6
And why would they be sure he isn't "susceptible to coercion or prone to sell out the United States for money?" From what I've read about Kushner, it seems much more likely that he is.
2
This does nothing to restore my faith in our national security when a person who has knowingly and often lied on their application can be cleared.
The blockade against Qatar worked well and he was able to bribe millions from that government for his real estate dealings. Jared is having a great month, at the cost of the integrity of our republic.
71
Was Kushner given a polygraph for his SCI clearance? Was it waived because he is the President's son-in-law? I can't imagine that he could pass either the investigation nor the polygraph.
32
The NYT should write about the reasons that Americans are typically denied a TSC. It's my understanding that finances are #1 - people with significant debt could be vulnerable to blackmail or selling state secrets. Leaving the names of 100 foreign contacts is presumably disqualifying as well.
76
Wonder if this was the DOJ’s way of placating Trump prior to their meeting with congressional Republicans on Thursday. The public really has no way of knowing what’s happening behind the scenes here...
18
When I received my TS/SCI clearance in the military, I had to be completely above reproach, without even as much as a single joint in my background. Apparently the standards have been lowered since then.
A lot.
92
My nephew admitted marijuana use on his original U.S. Customs Agent application and he was hired and trained as an agent. Years later he was up for a promotion and he answered "no" to the marijuana use question, and they fired him for the discrepancy. Sure, we can all see the problem of answers not matching, but it seems somewhat extreme. When you're a customs agent I guess you can't make errors like that, with inconsistent answers, but when you're dealing with our nation's security as Kushner is/will be, it would seem that his lies and omissions have far more serious repercussions; "have you ever met with agents of a foreign government?" "No," he answered but then it turns out he has met with Russians. Sounds serious and that there's more at stake with him than with my nephew.
75
It was not an error, but a lie, or at least by your post it appears to be one.
2
Are you referring as well to Kushner's lie(s)?
Listen -- since Kushner's portfolio includes solving most of the world's problems, I mean, well, let's be reasonable. The guy really HAS to see everything!
11
Did Trump "hereby demand" his son-in-law get this clearance? How else would someone who omitted so many ethically questionable activities, visits, meetings and deals from his application obtain a security clearance?
92
Good question! The idea that someone accidentally turned in the form before he was finished with it is laughable. If it's that easy to worm out of the disclosure requirement after someone gets caught leaving something out, the whole process is a joke.
1
After all we have learned about Kushner's self serving behavior, he gets the pass for security clearance? I can only conclude that the agencies involved are resigned to the fact that he can get whatever he wants, regardless. It makes no never mind. I wash my hands of this corrupt regime.
47
I would like to know how permanent this "permanent security clearance" actually is....
8
How?
What meaningful standards could *possibly* have been applied here? Put another way: Do they ever say no?
Not if you're white enough and rich enough and connected enough. If you meet those criteria, you're in—regardless of how low you go morally.
That's my take-away. Is there a less dire, hopeless, nihilistic take-away than that?
16
I always assumed Kushner had access to all secrets and reports he wanted without any clearance. Trump would have provided it without a second of thought. Kushner was and is a direct conduit of all US intel to Bibi, too.
45
Whether tRump is impeached or indicted does not matter any longer. He, with complete complicity of the Republican establishment, assisted mightily by Rupert Murdock and his WSJ and Fox News , have forever altered our democracy.
The damage to institutions and institutional norms are forever now part of our reality. Undermining a free press, the FBI, CIA, the justice department, even the Post Office! Will never be the same.
In the process of doing this they have surrendered our freedoms rights. School shootings are the norm, give up trench coats says Hugh Hewit, give up the rights of arbitration and health care, voter suppression, to " facts" about science!
If this sounds ominous, don't worry, it's actually even worse than all I have said.
42
They have? If as I suspect Mueller has nothing, you will see massive changes over at DOJ and the FBI. Massive improvements in management.
The post-apocalyptic novels I used to like reading have no charm. We are living it.
4
Pretty scary day when Democracy hinges on Jared Kushner. Trump touting "Spygate" makes Kushner more valuable in Trump tightening circle. Yikes. What--this Administration configured of 3 people now??
14
Due to his financial problems and desires Kushner is probably the most distrusted and disliked person in the White, second only to Trump. It is very sad that such a person who is supposedly soliciting investments from countries like Quatar is in a position of power and influence in our country. Our only hope lies with Mr. Mueller.
29
Not just Mr. Muller.......we still have the power of the vote.....for now. There's an election coming in November....possibly the most important in our history. Vote as if the fate of the nation depends on it....because it does.
26
KUSHNER: “I always thought, 'Will I go into the business, or will I not go into the business?'
But when my father got arrested [& imprisoned], I really didn't have a choice.”
Feb 1, 2014: Jared Kushner’s interview with “The Real Deal”, regarding his father’s imprisonment. Charles Kushner pleaded guilty to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering & illegal campaign donations.
23
Yip, that's "the business" he had to go into.
Another day, another brick in the foundation of the republic gets jackhammered, and the stench of trump swamp wafts ever thicker across the land. Heck, I can smell it all the way down here.
If little jared now has his security clearance, despite the numerous, monumental reasons he should not, apparently the rot has crept into the FBI. The courts will be next if not already there.
I've run out of words - disgust, outrage and every word in between wore out long ago.
27
What is the connection between Trump signing H.R. 3120 SECRET Act on May 22, 2018 and Kushner's almost immediate security clearance? NYT please explain.
19
One year isn't unusual. It took two years for me to get a top secret clearance and that was the usual time it took to complete all of the investigations, interviews, etc.
Now that he has his clearance he is not off the hook. It just means he will be heaped with even more critical responsibility and will be subject to even more control in his private life. That means he can and will be monitored by the government 24 hours a day, in his home, on the phone, in his email, in his car. The FBI can even search his car and residence without a warrant or his knowledge. Every business transaction will be monitored and scrutinized, even into the future after he leaves government service. The government can still secretly search his house when he is retired. The more secrets he knows the more the government is obligated to ensure he keeps the secrets. I bet no one told him that either.
37
I don't know who you trying to work for, buy two years to be cleared is a joke. Did you get the clearance? I'd be surprised.
7
Perhaps this monitoring is the reason they finally gave it to him. What a perk.
8
Although it's not uncommon for it to take a year, especially for contractors, anyone in the West Wing is expedited. Something happened here. Like leaving 100 contacts off of his form. Or having substantial debt and courting foreign investors to bail you out. Or setting up communication channels with a semi-hostile nation aimed to circumvent US law enforcement.
6
I'm so confused. Is this the same Jared Kushner who failed to fill out his security clearance application numerous times? Who attempted to secure a loan by playing one Middle Eastern country against another? Whose family engaged in immigration hi-jinx with the Chinese? How does this system ever work?
60
How does this system ever work? Very well for those white (or black in the case of Dr. Carson), rich corrupt manipulators of the system (except for senior Kushner's room-and-board stint for tax evasion).
Just when you think it couldn't get any worse . . .
My concern is how someone so unqualified can get a job in the WH, much less a security clearance. Kushner should have stayed with his company and away from the WH.
But the prez gets to pick his team. Textbook nepotism.
37
This is wrong on so many levels.
I'd like to know who stamped his security clearance form "APPROVED" -- and why.
24
Had you or I omitted, misconstrued, and lied on the forms, we would all be breaking rocks.
Or have they flipped him, given him a get out of jail card, and sent him out to gather evidence?
His daddy told him about the joy of doing time.
Been done before.
27
I'm sorry but these uniformed people who went ahead and voted for Trump even though he refused to show the public his tax returns, had 4 bankruptcies and cheated vendors are responsible for turning the United States into a banana republic in a mere 16 months.
Kushner is just like his sleazy father-in-law.
This is the most corrupt, rotten group of scoundrels I have ever seen.
And the Republicans are complicit in supporting this sleazy corruption.
Vote for the Democrats this November so at the very least we can have some oversight of these criminals and their criminal behavior.
106
Spot on!
15
Oh goodie. Now Kushner can “forge” that peace in the Middle East.
I can’t imagine why Kushner missed reporting his foreign contacts on his SF-86. It’s all laid out section by section. So if he missed that clearly marked detail on the form, how do we know Kushner has the capability to develop any plan for the Palestinians and Israelis? More importantly, how do we know that he is telling the truth? And equally important, is Kushner read into the program that monitors Russia that is a nation that is hostile to the U.S.?
”His lawyers scrambled to amend the form, saying they had inadvertently filed the document before it was complete. But among the undisclosed foreign contacts were meetings with the Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak; the head of a Russian state-owned bank; and a Russian lawyer who came to Trump Tower promising political dirt on Hillary Clinton.”
The Kushner company just got funding from Qatar to bail them out of their soured investment in The Sixes.. While Jared is presumeably removed from his and his father’s company, Trump sees no problem with maintaining his own business ties. So Trump will just look the other way. Did the Qataris come up with the funding to gain favor from Trump who attacted them?
Trumpkins all implicitly trust the Trump administration but it is a rat’s nest of intrigue. Intelligent people do not trust this administration. And Trumpkins are incapable of making apologies for it.
32
Interesting observation by Mr. Zaid:
"The resolution of his clearances does not guarantee that Mr. Kushner faces no legal jeopardy. But Mark S. Zaid, a veteran Washington lawyer who handles security clearances, said it was highly unlikely that the special counsel would uncover evidence of improper foreign entanglements and not flag it for security officials."
Since Kushner attended the infamous June 2016 meeting with the Russian lawyer, does this suggest also that Mueller doesn't feel Trump Jr. did anything wrong by meeting with that Russian lawyer?
13
When it comes to national security, seems to me Mr. Kushner should have some type of "learner's permit" first.
20
Best possible scenario: He'll be indicted.
31
Just shows that anyone can get a background check...
Just like the most corrupt incompetent in the USA can get elected President.
Now we will see if they van keep that status...
19
I hope this can be rescinded when we find out that he committed treason.
26
I'm quite sure the Israelis, Saudis and Chinese are quite happy about this. Very sure actually.
41
properly submitted? How many times was he caught lying and omitting information on his application and the fools at the FBI give this traitor. permanent security clearance?
He has no business having ANY security clearance. Our FBI is betraying us.
38
I agree.
3
So reading (barely) between the lines: Trump's bullying, bad-mouthing, and threating the FBI, cleared the way for this character's "security" clearance...
Despite omissions, distortions, and apparently outright misstatements on his paper work too?
And how will he use this info? No doubt for his OWN enrichment!
Another mile-marker on the road to the destruction of the USA's democracy and out fall as a nation!
21
How can Kushner get a top clearance when his business deals raise so many conflicts of interest? For example, getting the bailout from Qatar just as the White House drops sanction threats.
32
Kushner operated at a high level, attending classified meetings and with access to highly sensitive information, while still being vetted. It was only after this became public he became nominally restricted. This was a gross breach of security in its own right, and it seems academic that he has finally received final clearance now that the horse has bolted. This is simply an exercise in cosmetics now that potential harm has already occurred. Someone was highly incompetent or complicit in allowing this access in the first place. It all speaks of cronyism and flagrant disregard for the protocols of law.
The issue at hand is did he use this unauthorised access for his own advantage, for his family, or for the personal interests of the Trump regime? The implications here are enormous.
25
That’s like getting a Macy’s charge card, right?
12
Did anyone ever believe that the President's son in law was ever actually restricted from reading highly classified information despite his downgraded security clearance?
How would he ever know which foreign nation he could pressure for loans?
23
We already know enough to realize that Kushner is totally compromised and in no way able to carry out whatever his job description is. And there’s likely much more. Will we ever find out the reason his clearance was delayed?
I don’t trust this at all. We are obviously broken as a country and this seems to be part of it.
38
He shouldn't be there at all much less with clearance, especially with the "deals" the Kushner family has been pursuing internationally, and the revenge taking on Quatar until they bailed out his real estate mistake. This kid is a know nothing who has no business in any kind of position of influence.
50
It seems that people are making assumptions without knowing what the special counselor's (or the intelligence community) evidence or strategy is all about. I think Kushner's sudden security clearance is to protect the integrity of the DOJ and all agencies under it's jurisdiction. I'm betting Kushner's,and others' illegal activities will be exposed and he and others will be indicted before this investigation is over.
12
So Jared has been effectively cleared by Mueller? Well that certainly doesn't bode well for any finding of criminality on the part of Trump or his family. And, really, anyone else Mueller might indict is small potatoes. As more and more time passes, I am convinced Mueller has nothing on Trump and this past year will turn out to have been a waste of time (other than fueling ratings on liberal media), while Trump's agenda marches on. Sad indeed.
3
No it does not mean he is cleared, it means he has not yet been convicted.
Do you remember the saying about giving someone enough rope?
3
A waste of time like all of the HRC investigation "nothing-burgers"?
3
"As more and more time passes, I am convinced Mueller has nothing on Trump and this past year will turn out to have been a waste of time ... "
And taxpayer money.
1
"Mr. Kushner’s clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the F.B.I. background check, and the president was not involved in the process, according to the person briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because clearance decisions are supposed to be secret."
Folks commenting are outraged at the apparent incompetence of this bureaucrat-run process (because they are sure that Mr. Kushner should not have a clearance). But these same readers support expanding the size and scope of the federal government?
I see. In light of the overall low abilities of the class of '21, the FBI apparently now grades on a curve.
7
This is insane. Kushner is nothing but a mess of foreign entanglements and illegal behaviors. No, you cannot suggest to Russians that the Trump administration set up a "back channel" to avoid American surveillance. That's not a minor mistake; that is treason pure and simple.
25
But not yet convicted treason...
3
Putin next.
7
Forget "collusion." The operative word is "corruption." Deep, wide, epidemic and toxic.
48
Amen to that. Finally, a word that starts with “C” that best describes the Trump family. Corrupt.
Something tells me this isn’t going to help Kushner or Trump when the piper comes calling. I think Don Jr. has the most at risk, along with his corrupt father.
6
Well, it's good in a way. We now know that ANYONE can get a security clearance.
17
My fondest hope and fantasy is that the FBI is playing along with his requests so they can gather more information on his illegal work behind the scenes.
18
Why to spend time writing about Kushner and the Trump family, arguments are the privilege of rational human being. So far, democracy = zero; #45 and family business = won!
6
Another head-trip for the collective American liberal psyche to contemplate. Just when we’d convinced ourselves that our righteous indignation against nepotism was valid, the Phoenix rises. What else may come back to haunt us?
4
Except for being rich,and involved in Trump businesses and administration,there no evidence he's done anything wrong. Does that matter anymore?
So many commentators here state as if fact he is guilty just because! Indications are... real criminal activity may have happened in the previous Administration.
2
What fantasy of real criminal activity are you referring to?
10
Enriching oneself through one’s job as a White House official is a crime. Not to mention unethical.
12
Well, he did his disclosure forms wrong, several times, and perjured himself by attesting to their accuracy. The bigger question is, how does “not convicted” entitle someone to the most sensitive information of the USG? What has he ever done right?
6
i just hope this wasn't yet another case of presidential bullying to jump legal fences and get his way.
5
Someday it will all come out how completely, despicably dishonest this whole Trump Presidency was. It will probably come out how the people who put him in office are the product of our failed education system but successful non-literary media system. How many Trumpians know who Marshall McLuhan is?
9
Kushner filled out lots of fake documents with the belief he was supplying affordable housing to many people and he wasn't and that alone should have disqualified him for a top security clearance. His father was in jail for similar crimes and so should he. This President has soured the whole White House . Any crook can get in and get away with anything sinister and still get a security clearance. Thank you GOP supporters I hope you feel as unsafe as I do.
10
I'm not sure why I should even read the article considering all the other articles I've read about Jared Kushner. I mean, either I ignore everything else I've read about him, or I ignore this one. Did Trump "hereby demand" that Jared get a security clearance? That's really all we need to know, isn't it?
17
The Special Counsel is playing this matter close to the vest. Anybody making bets should understand it is total speculation at this point.
4
I’d like one of those security clearances, too. Who do I make my check out to?
13
"fueling questions" ... "the delay became a distraction" ... "left open the question of whether investigators had uncovered evidence".
All these speculative posits give credence to why MSM has become a quagmire of how to slander a family, try to undermine an American Presidency and send the great leftist hoard into spasms of finger-pointing and malicious behavior. And in the end, it is just more sore loser stuff; that's not a matter of conjecture, but it is indeed a terrible ongoing distraction.
2
The disgraceful way in which this administration behaves and operates cannot be dismissed by a simpleton's argument of "sore loser." To do so in a pseudo-intellectual way belies that fact that those who dare do so aren't intelligent enough to realize what's really at stake here.
10
So its okay for a total dolt to have security clearance? Maybe only for members of the totalitarian government, those loyal to Trump and not country? Those are the rules now?
23
Certainly he wasn't granted Top Secret.....or was he? We, the citizens of the USA want to know.
7
Now it is official, the US has joined the ranks of the banana republics
23
so lying on the application doesnt hurt your chances of getting a high level security clearance????
20
Banana Republic- it's not just for khakis anymore.
17
I guess now that Qatar has been fleeced for funding of 666 5th Ave. he's clean. Right?
11
And not one word in this reporting on the SECRET Act (actual acronym), a security clearance reform bill Trump signed last night that changes the law while, he claims, giving him the Constitutional "right" to decide himself on clearance.
You THINK that MIGHT be the reason why Kushner finally got his clearance?
Getting really tired of getting half-truths, inaccurate and incomplete reporting from you guys. Random journalists - not MSM - on Twitter should not be breaking news stories that I then find hours later in the "news."
Get. It. Together.
8
The SECRET Act, as passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President, requires a number of reports to the Congress about the status, management, and cost of background investigations. It does not apply to the President, Vice President, and a limited number of presidential and vice presidential employees they are allowed to appoint without restriction, a group that would include Jared Kushner or Ivanka Trump. It doesn't appear to authorize security clearance determinations of any kind by anyone. If the President did not have authorithy to grant the clearance before the act was passed, he does not have it now.
1
Unbelievable----I guess standards are totally down the drain now.
5
This is what it looks like when credibility has no value.
11
Deals were made. There is no way this man would be given anything more than a shhh! don't tell anyone clearance with his record and his tremendous debt load.
8
I sense Trump's bullying hand behind this ; the harassment of Rosenstein , Wray , the constant barrage of tweets and accusations and lord knows what other threats . Never cease to be amazed at the chutzpah he and his minions have .
3
Some on this comment feed have stated, whether correctly or incorrectly, that Kushner may now be under the influence of the FBI/Mueller. . .
Are any professionals in the audience able to confirm that the FBI would go that distance, considering the Kush will now be privy to our and others' intimate secrets?
Just throwin' it out there. . . .
1
exactly, how in the world did Kushner even pass any background inquiry with his huge amounts of money owed to foreign governements?
Something smells fishy here to me .
10
You can't make this stuff up.
8
'Mr. Kushner is also leading the Trump administration’s effort to forge a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians....'
The sickest of jokes in a joke of an administration.
9
If only it were funny . . .
5
The nepotism has me reeling. And ever since he was handed this privileged position, has he done anything to merit it or distinguish himself? Is there one person he has dealt with in the last year praising or standing up for him? Or assuring average Americans that he qualifies for this high honor and responsibility?
5
Would the FBI grant security clearance if they thought that Kushner conspired with foreigners to affect the outcome of an election?
1
The FBI does not grant, suspend, or revoke security clearances except for its own employees. It performs background investigations of people applying for clearances and passes those on to the agency with authority to grant the clearance. In most cases, that is the employing agency. In fact, if I remember properly from my own experience years ago, the Office of Personnel Management performs most security clearance investigations.
3
Apparently all it takes is FSB Certification.
1
Trump gave Kushner his clearance. The FBI can recommend against such a move, but White House staff are granted their clearances by the White House. Why didn't the Times state that simple fact?
8
Another reason that Nepotism in the White House should be illegal.
Maybe the FBI assumed every foreign nation with interest in doing so has already bought Kushner off?
2
In my opinion this is a terrible decision and one that continues to put America at great risk. We are all aware of Mr. Kushner's background and dealings and he has shown himself to be quite susceptible to being influenced and taken advantage of. What are his qualifications for having this role in the White House - that his father-in-law is President? Is there not one other individual in America that is even moderately capable and qualified to fill this role, including dealing with Middle East matters? This whole matter has an odor of impropriety, nepotism, ignorance and stupidity. It is disgusting.
502
Trump and Harvard say he is "ok".
13
With the exception of "nepotism", you have succinctly described the nomination, vote, and function of Trump-the-president.
21
It took a $2.5 million dollar donation in 1998 from Charles Kushner to grease the Harvard admission wheels for Jared.
What Harvard did in admitting Jared Kushner to the class of 2003 was not to say Jared is ok--his high school record indicated the contrary, and his undistinguished college record suggests he remained the mediocrity we see today.
What Harvard did was far worse than saying Jared is ok. This kind of purchase of privilege by the very wealthy, here in the form of a non-merit admission to the College, is a form of corruption. Even worse. It is an unnecessary form of corruption. Harvard's immense wealth makes it possible for Harvard to set a better example than this.
The Kleptocracy is alive and well in the USA.
5
That's great news for Vladimir Putin! Not that he was having any problems listening in on Trump's phone calls and texts.
7
For me, this news represents the first time I'm forced to consider that the Mueller investigation could yield absolutely nothing. Could you imagine that? Our national orange embarrassment morphs into the 'put- upon hero' at the expense of the Left.
Please, someone pass me the aspirin.
4
Huh? We just drained it, now we're letting that gators back in? Mashugana.
Are you sure this isn't The Onion?
2
Clearance happens immediately after the new FBI director is now in place.
I know we should always believe everything this transparent and truthful administration says (anonymously), but is it possible Jared's father-in-law aka POTUS overruled DOJ and got him the clearance?
2
This is seriously outrageous. This person is deeply in debt and has already been shown to be using his position in the White House to fish for deals for his family company.
But this is where we are -- our country and government are for sale to the highest bidder. The Trumps and the Kushners are cut from the same, depraved cloth.
11
"Gets Security Clearance as He Tries To Move Past Mueller Inquiry" to turn state's evidence and throw Giuliani AND the squatting president "under the bus" after Giuliani allegedly said Kushner was disposable. With in-laws like Trump, who needs enemies !!!!
1
Pfft. Kushner got a presidential waiver, despite the unnamed source who said otherwise to the press, in violation rules requiring secrecy about the clearance deliberations.
Really, we're supposed to believe Kushner will keep secrets because we're leaked something that should be kept secret? How dumb are they? How dumb is the US?
6
Yeah
Please explain your post. Thank you.
Clearance strangely timed after the new FBI director is now in place.
1
What a Joke!! We are fast becoming a Banana Republic where family members are a major part of the government.
3
Here's my question: If Kushner----with his multiple (and lied about) secret Russian contacts and secret meetings, and with his many desperate efforts to gain foreign financing to bail out his disastrous purchase of 666 5th Ave.------can get security clearance, who could NOT get security clearance????
5
Doris
Depending on your background, etc., you may or may not be able to get a security clearance.
unimpeded pillaging to follow
how difficult it was to not have not have up to date information at hand to direct the real estate empire. EMOULUMENTS PEOPLE !!!
3
Will he get to keep it if at some point he becomes an Israeli citizen and moves to Israel to escape prosecution in the U.S.?
2
By what miracle?
By the miracle of nepotism?
Does anyone really believe he didn't have access this entire time? Confederacy of dunces continues.
1
I just want this whole scabrous family to go home.
7
Hmm. I thought treason would at least raise a red flag or two!
6
Take my hat off to you Bob
Great move
We're holding this security clearance up like it's the gold standard.
Trump has security clearance even though it's documented that he bribed a porn actress on the eve of his presidential election, he defrauded students of their savings with his fake university, members of his election campaign apparently colluded with Russia, several of his employees have been indicted, and he has foreign investment in his businesses from who knows where with unknown influence, but he refuses to release his taxes.
Security Smechurity.
I think they gave the clearance to Jared to salve his sore ego from being made fun of in Israel for smiling during the massacre nearby (and to boost his spirits from the insults his Harvard classmates are sending him in his reunion red book for the reunion he dares not attend!)
9
wow...speechless really....
3
If Chris Christie weren't such a Trump sycophant, he could put a notch in his belt by trying to put the son in jail just like he did the father. LOL
3
Just imagine if Clinton's son in law Marc Mezvinsky tried to get security clearance as his mother in law's close adviser...
11
i feel more secure knowing
jared, the D student from paramus,
who somehow ended up at harvard,
will now have access to government secrets
this the man who openly met with business associates in the white house
maybe he can use the information he now has access to
to help him unload 666 5th
btw, he's looking closer to his age these days - maybe not enough time to sneak off for his botox injections
5
There is no somehow about it...His daddy donated $2M to get him in.
4
I am flabbergasted that Jared- could secure clearance. In the news last week, An investment company, affiliate of Qatar, will bail out Kushner company at 666 Fifth Ave, after fruitlessly looking for years, and being rejected because the property was overpriced to begin with, they found their savior. If this is not "pay to play", and against all custom, regulations and law, what is?. Jared Kushner championed the sanction of Qatar with the Saudis, Dubai et al. Now Kushner- and Trump is looking for inclusion. Trump and Kushner still have worldwide business that can be a conduit for what I believe to be illegal deals.
The bailout, and other deals is illegal, immoral and violates safeguards put in place.
16
Frank Shifreen
Security Clearance is given by the FBI.
Hi Sarah- considering the business deals in the news- I cannot understand how the FBI could clear him. Unless the FBI is politized.
Franl Shifreen
He's not a security risk to America.
This grant is yet another thing that I'm sure at least one Congressional committee would be looking into if Trump weren't affiliated with the Republican party
Well, they're always 2019
1
If Jared was reading the president's daily briefs -- someone had to -- and was advising Trump on his magnificent, great, excellent portfolio while he had not yet received a security clearance, and if he is, with his new clearance "continuing to do the work the president has asked him to do,” then what difference does the clearance make?
Besides, I don't understand how he qualified for a clearance when he's raking in enormous personal financial rewards from Qatar, China, Israel and elsewhere.
There's something rotten in the the State of Trump.
3
Like pretty much everything about this government anymore, I don't trust either the process or the result.
2
As a holder of a TS/SCI clearance, I am appalled that someone like Kushner - who has lied, dissembled, and STILL takes foreign money for his business - has been given the same clearance.
874
You have got to be kidding. This is further evidence we are doomed as a nation or moral society in this most corrupt and disgusting administration in American history.
This makes me sick.
18
Security clearance? For one of Trump's kids? And no less than THIS highly suspect guy? Riiiiight.
This "clearance" was surely bought, but considering who did the buying it will likely never be paid for.
8
This is extraordinary. A Harvard graduate with executive titles submits multiple versions of his filings for the highest level of national security clearance because he fails to understand or accept the process. Then after over a year in the position he still is allowed to ‘correct’ his responses. It’s obvious that if he wasn’t married to the daughter of the current WH occupant, his application would have been rejected months ago.
628
A Harvard graduate means nothing these days. You can get in if your father has the money. That's how he got in.
27
If he were not married to the daughter of the current WH occupant, he wouldn't be in a position where he would have ever been considered to security clearance, let alone, top permanent security clearance.
23
How?
He has been shown to be using our foreign policy to leverage funding for his 666 project?
He has been shown to be vulnerable to foreign manipulation.
Has he been cleared by Mueller?
Notice we are not even raising the nepotism issue anymore.
The walls of our institutions are tumbling before our eyes.
15
OK who decided not to rile Trump? So granted Jared Kushner a clearance at the nation’ Peril?
4
What a relief! Now Kushner can get to work on: peace in the Middle East, the opioid epidemic, diplomacy with Mexico, our country's infrastructure, diplomacy with China, reforming care for veterans, reforming the criminal justice system, reinventing the entire government...and enriching his family's business with deals from foreign governments.
We're saved!
9
We would be in jail if we had fudged our security clearance forms like he did.
4
By "fudged" you mean knowingly made a false statement-in violation of the law, right?
1
This does not prove that Kushner deserves security clearance. It proves that in Trumpworld, qualifications and concern for the security of the country do not matter. It is an index of the progress of the gangrene that is eating away at the limbs of the country and heading for the vital organs. Where is the passionate voice that can rally the nation around the standards that Trump, Nunez, and every single member of the GOP that enables them is destroying? Obama is sticking to his vow of post-presidential silence, but these are not normal post-presidential times. Aside from Trump, Obama is the only person who could get every microphone in the nation pointed in his direction on an hour's notice if he said he was going to make a major statement. I know there would be a huge right wing backlash, but the right wing manufactures outrage at all times, about every issue. Might as well give them something real to gnash their teeth about.
7
Maybe, the F.B.I. cleared Kushner before the Kushner-666-Qatar deal. Can F.B.I withdraw their clearance? I hope so. Otherwise our country has been sold with it's people. What does that make us? Vassals?
4
Well yes, of course he did. Just another example of the U.S. becoming less secure under the catastrophic Trump Administration!
4
Now that the likes of Jared Kushner was "granted a permanent security clearance", I feel less safe than ever. Whoever approved and granted such clearance has clearly demonstrated a major paradigm shift in this nation's national security policy. Why the heck even have security clearances if influential individuals with dubious and questionable backgrounds are allowed free and total access to . . . what, everything and anything . . . without question?
Another dangerous and bad decision by the Trump administration.
5
Ok. So he scored his clearance. Now how about the test for competency?
1
Brother-in-law of trump's physician scored it. Aced.
1
The issuance of a security clearance doesn’t immunize a federal employee from criminal prosecution.
55
Regards, LC
Why would it?
I hope not.
Let's keep our eyes glued on the silverware.
41
This is wierd. What took so long? This is not normal for such a high level clearance. Usually they get done quickly, I am told. Maybe Trump finally was able to rearrange the management of the FBI.
24
Parjartomt
Who told you that?
Many White House employees are still working with temporary security clearances. You would expect Kushner's to take long because of the global nature of Kushner enterprise.
Utterly incredible. Trump and Kushner giver every appearance of having threatened the nation of Qatar with sanctions unless it subsidized Kushner's 666 Madison Avenue building for hundreds of million$.
How does the FBI or any other credible security agency give a clearance with that looming over all of this?
Only two possibilities: the FBI is attempting to keep Trump at bay by giving in to certain of his demands while they complete their investigation, or, Kushner has been threatened by the FBI with full prosecution and has now flipped as an informant against Trump.
231
Money talks and knowing the right people walks you through any doorway.
13
Bribery has been legal since the Supreme Court declared that money was "speech," protected under the 1st Amendment. Hope that helps!
20
Sickening. Who is Jared Kushner and why is he representing my country in any way shape or form.
739
Because a couple of thousand voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania were "very, very angry." Hope that helps!
70
You mean Crooked Kushner.
Like father, like father-in-law like another crook.
Democracy is officially Dead.
240 years, was a nice try though.
5
With trash like this seeping into every level of our government, Republicans have lost the moral authority to criticize anyone else’s life choices, personal associations, politics…you name it. Assuming they had any morality to begin as accomplices delivering this mess to the rest of us.
214
Treason is what **we** say it is....
18
Dave Allan
Explain "treason" in this matter.
Dave Allan
Treason is attempting to overthrow the government
I can only hope that this is a bad dream and I'll wake up from it soon. Maybe the Kushners, Qatar and 666 Fifth Avenue are a fig newton of my immigration?
36
Even with a strong username like Meritocracy, is it advisable these days to admit your status as an immigrant?
Presumably a 'fig newton' is the force required to accelerate a 1 Kg fig at 1 meter per second squared.
( ͡ʘ ͜ʖ ͡ʘ)
4
Thank you very much :-)
USAToday--under Politics-
"News of the restored clearance came the day after Trump signed a bill mandating that the White House Office of Administration report to Congress on what's causing backlogs in security clearances. But even as he signed the bill, Trump suggested that he could constitutionally refuse to enforce it."
The Mob system of getting your way. NYT, why leave this out?
170
Selective reporting for access - business as usual for The NY Times - to be fair, every media outlet is reporting it the same way - par for the course - confirming what is wrong with the media & how they elected Trump by not asking the right questions, making him accountable, digging into his finances, not outraged by not releasing his taxes, no indignation about his birther remarks, which went on for a very long time, etc. But they did find time to talk about everything Hillary & emails- what a moral waste!
8
Does this mean he’s a real boy now?
57
@Bucketomeat, The Zone: No; it means that he’s now a “made man.”
8
I thought the "numerous career officials" at the FBI were part of the "deep state" that is trying to overthrow the election results and get rid of Trump.
Or is that only when they are not busy approving Jared's security clearance?
40
With all due respect, journalism should be descriptive, not prescriptive. It isn't for the NY Times to say whether the issuance of this security clearance, "ends the swirl of questions over delay." I, for one, still have A LOT of questions.
135
Me too!
3
Great point.
Missing quotes are "Suspend disbelief," a person said. "Qatar deal and Russia meetings no longer a storyline or relevant," a vague official who is a person said.
Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy.
15
This announcement of Kushner's 'permanent' clearance is told in pretty vague terms. Besides omitting what level clearance he was granted, I'm curious who the term 'career officials' represents. Is this straight up the FBI? Mr. Lowell wants to firmly stitch this announcement to Kushner's appearance before the Special Counsel, but the two are not necessarily related. Makes a nicer story though.
6
Maybe John Kelly is tired of dumbing down the daily intelligence briefings for trump. After all, there are only so many pictures one can use....
10
How is this possible given his background in shady real estate deals, meeting with foreign enemies to sway the election, debt, meeting with Qatari officials to collude on the Trump campaign? What has happened to our government to enable this corruption in just 1.5 years. Was our system of government that fragile to begin with? If I lied, cheated, and swindled, somehow I don't think I'd get the highest level of security clearance. The sickening virus of the Trump regime seems to be infecting every aspect of our government with traitorous scoundrels.
35
He went from 'double secret probation' to this?!
Better would be expulsion. For good.
25
The fix is in. But it remains unknown what the FBI background check uncovered and whether the FBI was overruled by some functionary. From the public record, there's no way that someone who lied on the security clearance form and later was proven to have had hundreds of unreported meetings with foreign officials or agents could be granted clearance.
Disgusting.
26
unless Jared is wired.
2
What a JOKE! This country and people who run it are pathetic. Racket of the rich by the rich for the rich.
28
Clovis22, But we knew that.
Is this story a Hoax? Name the source, please.
4
They gave Kim Philby lots of clearances too.
14
Of course Netanyahu’s right hand man
11
What type of clearance does he need? If is not a top secret then I am sure he got it. The question is why does he need it and how will he use it? It is time for the republicans to accept the fact that trump as well as the entire administration must go!
15
That's like giving your bank password away to a badly faked email account. I wouldn't trust that guy to water my plants.
27
Even if they’re plastic. Really.
4
Kushner has a security clearance and works in the White House. Hillary Clinton wanders the woods. Karma
3
More secrets to peddle
7
Kushner should be in jail, not the White House.
19
I guess that, if your crimes (influence peddling, money laundering, etc.) are all a matter of public record, then you can't be "blackmailed" over them and so you aren't a security risk.
Hmmph. Who knew?
14
Kushner May not be the absolutely last person who should have a security Clarence, but he's right down there at the bottom of the list
6
Either this story is a joke, or this country now is.
20
The corruption continues. VOTE November 6, 2018.
24
This nation is thoroughly compromised. The irony is, so-called conservatives, the supposed hawks, sold us out. Wrap yourself in the flag and vestments but keep your hand out for bribes.
21
Now this REALLY makes me uncomfortable! The primo
"carpetbagger" having a US security clearance. It's like the devil being invited to confession.
I'm ready for the American Revolution, part ll.
20
This is a joke. Right?
5
If the FBI personnel tasked with clearing Jared Kushner went to Mueller and asked, "are you working on a case, have evidence against him, would Mueller's team have said yes or no? Wouldn't either answer violate the rule of not disclosing/confirming anything about anybody, nor the fact of the investigation itself, during an ongoing investigation?
I'm skeptical that this clearance has anything to say about what Mueller is/is not doing.
It does cause me concern that Kushner received it: that's an investigation in the making/waiting. His conflicts of interest, on their face, should preclude the highest level of security clearance.
The White House ignored Trey Gowdy's demands on this point and Gowdy appears to have said "okay"....I guess it'll take a majority Dem Congress for national security to be a national concern, once again.
Ah, the good old days, when outside actors having the ability to bribe and manipulate the Oval Office and White House staff was "a thing".
Another day, another travesty.
13
Another sleazy Trump style white washing their filthy claws of all the wrong doing. I do not believe in heaven or hell but when times comes for all this scum to pay up , I hope I am wrong.
4
If this "person of interest" who allegedly fudged his security clearance forms some 40 times, was also allegedly involved in all the Trump Tower meetings with foreign entities trying to manipulate the '16 election, is arranging a bailout of his white elephant 666 property with the Qatari government and was subjected to the FBI/Mueller meat grinder for a year gets a full security clearance - the logical question is: does Mueller have anything on anyone? If not - let's get this over with.
165
Let's just give everyone a security clearance. Forget the long form. This is one person I would not trust with a security clearance. Period.
5
I wouldn't trust this guy with a wooden nickel or a blank piece of paper.
3
So someone who was trying to establish a "backdoor" communication with Russia, has yet to be cleared by Mueller, and failed to mention (because he supposedly was too overworked to remember) meeting with more than 100 foreign officials on his security clearance form has now been given a security clearance? The rich are certainly very "different than you and I".
Who were the officials who gave the green light to the clearance? They are unnamed in this column. This just adds more to my cynicism about politics, and about the eventual outcome of Mueller's investigation.
542
You've just pointed out a glaring, critical error in this article by Matt Apuzzo. It is not "career officials" that approve clearances-- they check and double check the information an applicant submits, but it is up to the White House to decide whether he gets a clearance. The President is the White House, so he just approved his corrupt and treasonous son-in-law's clearance-- no surprise there. The real surprise is that Kushner did not get his clearance sooner.
9
Clearly, there's a game going on. My bet is on Mueller.
10
There are clearances and there are clearances. It would be interesting to know what level was granted.
3
I feel lots safer already.
23
This really doesn't speak to all of Kushner's business he has conducted with the leaders of foreign countries for his personal financial benefits merely because of Trump.
And that he has amended his disclosure statement around 40 times.
His Saudi Arabian sword dance was his initial conquest.
And now, with his security clearance, he will be able to continue his personal business with unfettered discretion.
Finally, Kushner cannot believe he has the experience necessary to conduct international negotiations, let alone those between Israel and the Palestinians subsequent to Trump's relocation of our embassy.
7
Money suddenly and inexplicably ensures talent and expertise. It all begins at the bank. And we Americans buy it, lying down.
So does this mean he gets access to the Presidential Daily Brief again and can trade information for financing for his real estate problems like 666 Fifth or new deals? This is unacceptable given the conflicts of interest Kushner has. Were those reviewing his application pressured by Trump in any way? We need to know the answers to these questions as our national security is at risk. Kushner is almost certainly compromised and foreign governments made no secret of their desire to take advantage of it.
280
"Were those reviewing his application pressured by Trump in any way?" Do you need to ask?
14
Omission of mutiple meetings with foreign leaders on the security clearance application, efforts to set up a back channel inside Russian embassy, murky dealings involving Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the lack of any experience or expertise - all these do not matter. Sycophancy wins.
347
Let's not forget the importance of nepotism, and the need to keep members of the "family" in the know.
7
"Career officials" - is that what we call the "Deep State" now when we like the outcome?
63
Why not go whole hog and also give clearance to Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen? And I'm sure Manafort could use it as well.
Heck, the way things are going in our government they may as well post everything on the government website because according to Trump, everyone is a spy.
799
Ivanka!
Tiffany!
Eric!
Barron!
Stormy!
31
Kushner could not pass muster after all the inaccuracies and untruths in original application, so there needed to be a Trumpian fix -- after all he is family.
31
There are clearances and there are clearances. It would be interesting to know what level was granted.
11
Follow up with what level clearance he has.
14
That is good to read. NOW he can have all the top secret stuff he can sell to the highest real estate offers. Whodda thought public service paid so well. My oh my, oh how the money rolls in, rolls in.
64
I believe that there are different levels of clearance. Did he receive the highest?
1
Unbelievable. As in, this paper and many others have documented his myriad conflict of interests, and questionable actions that began before his father in law had even been sworn into office. Seeking a back channel to Russians, and requesting thst communication be set up at the Russian embassy? Taking a meeting with Russian bank officers, accompanied by Flynn? Being present in June 2016 to hear dirt on Hillary delivered by Russians?
Perhaps the assumption is we are all too numbed by the non-stop lies and craziness to notice or to care. The alternative may be an assumption that we are too powerless to stop these frontal assaults on OUR country, and that those with the ability to rein this administration in simply will not.
747
When will this insanity stop? When the "blue wave" of democrats turns the majority in congress ? When Mueller issues his final report? I'm burned out from this surreal and massively corrupt administration. I feel like Trump and the GOP/Republicans have taken Americans hostage ever since Trump was elected by the minority vote. and what about the daily bizarre departure from the truth? everything about Trump and the (R)s who support him are so bizarrely fake #notmypresident #votedem #truthplease #truetransparencyplease
73
i feel safe now. (as long as i dont live in a NYC rent stabalized apartment.)
2
Trump does indeed play chess as the international grandmaster he believes he is. He just promoted a pawn.
11
An insult to everyone who holds a legitimate clearance, and to the nation whose secrets are now to be entrusted to a known SVR asset.
28
Does Kushner get to keep his security clearance after he is indicted? Just asking.
286
brilliant!
11
Mueller and the FBI made sure to NOT connect the investigation to his security clearance and avoid any appearance or presumption of guilt.
His two interviews for "many hours" with the Mueller team however is the more interesting point in the story. Lying to the FBI is all it takes: ask Flynn and Popadopalous. Kushner lied (twice) on his security clearances ; just saying.....
17
How is this possible? How is it possible for someone who met repeatedly met with Russians and lied about it, had business meetings with sanctioned bank officials and lied about it, attempted to establish a secure secret back-channel communications system to his Kremlin masters (hidden from American intelligence's reach), manage to get a security clearance to all of our nation's secrets? Imagine value of those secrets and how profitable they are to someone like Jared. Imagine how much the Israelis will pay him!
I guess it does not matter since the real top-spy and Putin's top-asset sits in the Oval office transmitting top secret information out in the open to the Russians.
Jared will use the "intel" to profit and undermine competitors and give him an advantage over targets he is trying to squeeze money out of - like Qatar.
More proof it is too late to get our country back from these cronies.
38
It's not too late... VOTE!!!
10
So a guy who meets with Russian agents with the intention of subverting a national election and owes tens of millions of dollars to Russians is not a national security risk?
271