Kushner's security clearance comes through, source says

WASHINGTON -- Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser, has been granted his permanent security clearance, a person briefed on the matter said Wednesday, ending a period of uncertainty that had fueled questions about whether Kushner was in peril in the special counsel's investigation.

Kushner's FBI background checks had dragged on for a year. White House officials were adamant that the lengthy process was not unusual for a government official who has a complicated financial history and many foreign contacts.

But the delay became a distraction and, with the special counsel investigating some of Kushner's meetings with Russian officials, left open the question of whether investigators had uncovered evidence that made him a security threat.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether anyone around Trump conspired with the Russian government to help influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Kushner's meetings with the Russian ambassador, a Kremlin-connected lawyer and a prominent Russian banker have all attracted scrutiny.

Kushner's clearances were approved by career officials after the completion of the FBI background check, the person briefed on the matter said, and the president was not involved in the process.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because clearance decisions are supposed to be secret.

The resolution of his clearances does not guarantee that Kushner faces no legal jeopardy. But Mark Zaid, a veteran Washington lawyer who handles security clearances, said it was highly unlikely that the special counsel would uncover evidence of improper foreign entanglements and not flag it for security officials.

"If I were Jared Kushner, I'd be sighing a breath of relief today," Zaid said.

The special counsel's investigation had not caused the delay, said Kushner's lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

"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," Lowell said. "Having completed all of these processes, he's looking forward to continuing to do the work the president has asked him to do."

A White House spokesman did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Kushner was among several White House officials who spent the first year of the administration working under provisional clearances, meaning he was allowed to view classified information while his FBI background check was pending. Those clearances were stripped in February under a new White House policy.

Wednesday's decision restores his top-level clearances, which previously gave him access to some of the nation's biggest secrets, including the presidential daily briefing, the intelligence summary Trump receives every day.

Kushner is also leading the Trump administration's effort to forge a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.

A Section on 05/24/2018