Democrats seek information on Trump administration's security clearance revocations

[ad_1] WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers on the Home Intelligence Committee requested the Trump administration on Monday about its causes for revoking the safety clearances of 37 present and former nationwide safety officers.

In a letter to Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the lawmakers requested for the particular causes for every revocations, and whether or not normal clearance overview procedures have been adopted.

The Democrats additionally requested whether or not the federal government notified these affected earlier than the revocations have been introduced, and whether or not the Trump administration thought-about the influence the revocations would have on nationwide safety.

So many revocations both displays deep issues with authorities vetting or suggests the method has grow to be politicized, the lawmakers wrote.

“Your transfer was due to this fact immensely consequential to the nationwide safety of the US,” the Democrats wrote. “It's crucial that Congress be happy that you're not politicizing the work of the intelligence group or utilizing the safety clearance course of for political ends.”

Gabbard has justified the revocations by saying the 37 present and former officers all both tried to politicize their work or failed to fulfill another skilled normal.

A spokesperson for her company has mentioned all related authorities businesses have been notified of the revocations, and that no undercover spies have been uncovered by the transfer.

In a memo detailing the revocations, Gabbard accused these singled out of getting engaged within the “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” to advance private or partisan targets, failing to safeguard categorized data, failing to “adhere to skilled analytic tradecraft requirements” and different unspecified “detrimental” conduct.

Gabbard's memo didn't supply proof to again up the accusations.

The letter from the Democratic lawmakers seeks responses by Sept. 19. It was signed by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the Home Intelligence Committee, in addition to the 11 different Democratic lawmakers serving on the panel.