Advisers Propose That Trump Give Security Clearances Without F.B.I. Vetting
A memo circulating among at least half a dozen advisers to former President Donald J.Trump recommends that if he is elected, he bypass traditional background checks by law enforcement officials and immediately grant security clearances to a large number of his appointees after being sworn in, according to three people briefed on the matter.The proposal is being promoted by a small group including Boris Epshteyn, a top legal adviser to Mr.
Trump who was influential in its development, according to the three people.It is not clear whether Mr.Trump has seen the proposal or whether he is inclined to adopt it if he takes office.But it would allow him to quickly install loyalists in major positions without subjecting them to the risk of long-running and intrusive F.B.I.
background checks, potentially increasing the risks of people with problematic histories or ties to other nations being given influential White House roles.Such checks hung up clearances for a number of aides during Mr.
Trump’s presidency, including Mr.Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Mr.
Epshteyn himself.The proposal suggests using private-sector investigators and researchers to perform background checks on Mr.Trump’s intended appointees during the transition, cutting out the role traditionally played by F.B.I.
agents, the three people said.Once Mr.
Trump took the oath, he would then summarily approve a large group for access to classified secrets, they said.Asked about the proposal, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, responded with an attack on Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she and Democrats “have weaponized the Department of Justice to attack President Trump and his supporters” and that Mr.Trump would use “the full powers of the presidency” to build his administration starting on Inauguration Day.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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