Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner has regained his top security clearance, according to multiple reports, and will for the first time have a permanent rather than interim clearance.
Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, lost his temporary top-level clearance in February after Chief of Staff John Kelly revamped the administration’s security clearance process.
The approval process was reportedly not related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election.
“With respect to the news about his clearances, as we stated before, his application was properly submitted, reviewed by numerous career officials and underwent the normal process,” said Abbe D. Lowell, Kushner’s personal attorney.
“Having completed all of these processes, he’s looking forward to continuing to do the work the president has asked him to do,” Lowell added.
Mark S. Zaid, an attorney specializing in national security law, weighed in on Kushner obtaining clearance.
“Favorable granting of TS/SCI clearance, likely by #CIA, for #JaredKushner can reasonably be interpreted – but is definitely not conclusive – that #SpecialCounsel/#Mueller does not have overriding criminal concerns over his access to classified information,” tweeted Zaid.
Favorable granting of TS/SCI clearance, likely by #CIA, for #JaredKushner can reasonably be interpreted – but is definitely not conclusive – that #SpecialCounsel/#Mueller does not have overriding criminal concerns over his access to classified information
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) May 23, 2018
This development comes after the New York Times reported a major investment firm “with close ties to the government of Qatar” is in the final stages of negotiating an agreement to acquire 666 Fifth Avenue, a Manhattan trophy property owned by the Kushner family.
The company controlled by the family of the White House adviser Jared Kushner is close to receiving a bailout of its financially troubled flagship building by a company with ties to the government of Qatar, according to executives briefed on the deal.
Charles Kushner, head of the Kushner Companies, is in advanced talks with Brookfield Properties over a partnership to take control of the 41-story aluminum-clad tower 666 Fifth Avenue in Midtown, according to two real estate executives who have been briefed on the pending deal but are not authorized to discuss it. Brookfield is a publicly traded company, headquartered in Canada, one of whose major investors is the Qatar Investment Authority.
Mr. Kushner and his son Jared, President Trump’s son-in-law and one of his key advisers, bought the office tower, which is between 52nd and 53rd Streets, 11 years ago for a record-setting $1.8 billion. But the building today only generates about half its annual mortgage payment, and 30 percent of the 41-story tower is vacant.
According to the Times, “Mr. Kushner retained most of his stake in the firm. He shed some of the assets — including his stake in 666 Fifth Avenue — by selling them to a trust controlled by his mother.”
In another unflattering report, emails obtained by the Associated Press show Elliott Broidy, a top Trump campaign bundler, along with his business partner George Nader, discussed how Gulf leaders view Kushner.
“You have to hear in private my Brother what Principals think of ‘Clown prince’s’ efforts and his plan!” Nader said in reference to the senior White House advisor’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
“Nobody would even waste cup of coffee on him if it wasn’t for who he is married to.”
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