Report: Jared Kushner's White House security clearance hits new snag

Show Caption Hide Caption Jared Kushner could lose access to top secret documents A storm is brewing inside the White House over who gets access to classified information, and Jared Kushner wants to make sure he’s one of them. Nathan Rousseau Smith reports.

WASHINGTON — Although White House chief of staff John Kelly will make the final call on a security clearance for senior adviser Jared Kushner, a top Justice Department official reportedly alerted the Trump administration about significant information on the president's son-in-law requiring additional investigation that would further delay the process.

The Washington Post, quoting three unidentified sources, reported Saturday that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein informed White House counsel Donald McGahn on Feb. 9 about the new developments in the case.

In its latest report, the Post said Rosenstein, in his phone conversation with McGahn, intended to give an update on the status of Kushner’s background investigation. He did not specify the source of the information that officials were examining, the three sources told the newspaper.

The report comes as a deadline, set by Kelly, passed on Friday for top White House aides to secure a permanent security clearance or risk losing access to classified information.

Kushner, as a senior adviser to President Trump, has been using the interim clearance for more than a year, despite being the White House point man on the Middle East peace process.

Trump told reporters on Friday that Kelly would make the final decision as to any exception for Kushner. "General Kelly respects Jared a lot," Trump said. "I won't make that call."

More: Trump says Jared Kushner's security clearance is up to his chief of staff

Trump could simply grant a waiver for Kushner to receive a high-level security clearance despite the unresolved background investigation.

"He's going to do what’s right for the country, and I have no doubt he’ll make the right decision," he said.

Trump added that he believes that Kushner has done "an outstanding job" and has been treated "very unfairly."

Security clearance determinations are conducted by the White House Personnel Security Office, based on background checks conducted by the FBI.

Kushner's clearance has run into a number of delays over the past year. He's had to amend his security clearance questionnaire several times to include meetings he's had with foreign nationals, including Russian agents.

The security clearance overhaul follows a scandal in which White House staff secretary Rob Porter was allowed to handle classified information under an interim security clearance despite multiple domestic violence allegations. Two ex-wives had warned FBI agents conducting a background check that Porter could be susceptible to blackmail.

"We inherited a system that's broken. It’s a system where for many people it’s taken months and months and months," even when there aren't significant red flags, Trump said.

More: Sen. Orrin Hatch apologizes for defending ex-White House staffer Rob Porter

The Post, quoting unidentified people familiar with the conversations, reported that Kelly has told associates that he is uncomfortable with Kushner’s unresolved security clearance status and his unique role as both a family member and staffer.

Kelly has also reportedly said he would not be upset if both Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a senior adviser to the president, left their positions as full-time employees.

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the status of Kushner’s clearance or on information relayed by Rosenstein to McGahn, the Post said. Likewise, Kushner’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, declined to comment.

Regardless of the security clearance, White House officials and Kushner's lawyers have expressed confidence that he would continue to serve in the Trump administration.

Lowell, Kushner's lawyers, said this week that the new security policy will not affect Kushner's ability "to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the president."