It also demonstrates the weaknesses in the security-clearance process. Per Wray’s testimony, the White House knew in summer of 2017 that Porter would not be recommended for clearance, and yet it kept him on—in part, Washington Post reporting indicates, because the administration was so desperate for competent staffers that it was concluded Porter was indispensable. In fact, CNN reports he was under consideration for promotion to deputy chief of staff.

How could it be that Porter was still working with an interim clearance, and perhaps in line for a promotion, even after the FBI had delivered a report that recommended he not be granted clearance? In addition to showing how unseriously the White House treated the abuse allegations, this shows a fundamental truth of the clearance process: There’s no mechanism to enforce it.

“The security clearance process is entirely a creation of the Executive Branch by way of Executive Order,” Bradley Moss, an attorney who deals with national-security, wrote me in an email. “There are agency guidelines that set forth how long the process should take but they are just that—guidelines. They are not binding and there is no external authority that can compel an agency to comply with them.”

The FBI can recommend that an individual not be granted clearance, but it doesn’t actually do the granting. For White House staff, the White House itself makes that decision. Sometimes it will inform a staffer that he or she will not receive clearance, giving that person time to quietly and gracefully leave government. But there’s no statutory procedure that would prevent a president from deciding to let an employee work under interim clearance for eight years across two full terms.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, another Trump appointee, highlighted this problem during Tuesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where he sat alongside Wray. “The process is broken. It needs to be reformed,” Coates said. He called for restricted access to classified material when an interim clearance is required.

This is not the first time officials have called for reforms to the security-clearance system, but past discussions have often centered on how to speed up the process and eliminate backlogs of clearances waiting for completion. Both intelligence officials and ranking Democrat Mark Warner highlighted the continued problem of delays Tuesday. Because the system is slow and deliberate, interim security clearances are a common feature. The White House has pointed to this fact in defending itself against reports that many top West Wing officials, including senior adviser (and Trump son-in-law) Jared Kushner, are still working on interim clearances.

In the immediate sense, the Porter case raises fresh questions about those cases. Are these people working under interim clearances because checks are ongoing, or are they doing so even though the checks have been completed? Porter’s case does not offer reason to believe the White House can be trusted to speak honestly about this, or to act swiftly when an investigation recommends against clearance.