Story highlights Democrat on the House oversight committee have questions about Michael Flynn

The questions are related to why the former national security adviser had clearance

(CNN) Democrats on a key House panel are pressing the White House on why former national security adviser Michael Flynn was allowed to maintain top-level security clearances despite allegations of security concerns while Flynn was at the White House.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, specifically cites Acting Attorney General Sally Yates' explicit warning to White House counsel Don McGahn that Flynn was likely vulnerable to blackmail by Russians, based on intelligence reports she reviewed. Cummings cites Yates' public comments that, rather than asking about Flynn's possible security breach, McGahn reportedly asked why the White House should be handling it.

Cummings, in his letter released Wednesday, notes that Flynn continued holding his security clearance, despite the warning from Yates.

Cummings cites an executive order requiring employees to have their security clearance preemptively suspended if they are suspected of being a national security risk.

"In general, when there are credible allegations that employees may be unfit to continue accessing classified information, security clearances are supposed to be suspended while the allegations are investigated," Cummings wrote in his letter, sent June 21.

Read More