John Kelly, then the White House chief of staff, wrote an internal memo saying he had been “ordered” to grant the clearance. The top White House lawyer at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote a memo outlining his reservations.

The president told The Times in January that he had taken no role in Mr. Kushner’s receiving his clearance.

Background: Mr. Kushner’s initial background check took more than a year. Officials had raised questions about his ties to overseas governments and investors, and about his initially unreported contacts with foreigners.

Response: A spokesman for Mr. Kushner’s lawyer said on Thursday: “In 2018, White House and security clearance officials affirmed that Mr. Kushner’s security clearance was handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone. That was conveyed to the media at the time, and new stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time.”