You have commented 358 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Government Corruption
FBI Whistleblower Says FBI Intentionally Blocking Security Clearances for Trump Officials-Remember This Works Both Ways
2024-11-20
[ComservativeTreehouse] It should not come as a surprise to see the same methods deployed against President Trump in 2024 that were used by the FBI in 2016. The difference is now that President Trump understands the full power of his office in the security clearance process and that he doesn’t need the FBI.

In 2016 the FBI used their power to conduct security clearances as a tool to stall and block President Trump appointments. Historically this is one of the ways a very corrupt and political FBI interfere in any system that might be against the interests of the Intelligence Community that controls them. However, in 2024 President-Elect Trump and his transition team have already taken a different approach.

First the report:

WASHINGTON DC – An official at FBI headquarters in Washington is warning that the bureau’s security clearance division is politicized and can’t be trusted to screen President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for top administration jobs.

The allegations of political bias at the FBI’s security division, or SecD, were revealed in a protected whistleblower disclosure sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which The Washington Times reviewed.

The official said the security clearance process has been “contaminated by the political agendas of [security division] officials and other executives in the FBI.” (more)

This is not any earth-shattering revelation. We painstakingly discussed this in a multitude of prior research discussions. The motive of the Whistleblower to come forth now, is likely because President Trump is already working around the problem.

WASHINGTON DC – President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is skipping the protocol of using the FBI to conduct background checks, according to a report.

Instead, the president-elect’s team is turning to private companies to vet administrative appointees, people familiar with transition planning told CNN. Trump has criticized the FBI for its slow investigation process and feared it would delay his ability to roll out his agenda.

A security clearance is needed for some Cabinet positions, such as attorney general, and the process of obtaining one includes an FBI background check.

Dan Meyer, a national security attorney, told CNN Trump’s mistrust of the FBI and the deep state has made him go completely rogue. [They] “don’t want the FBI to coordinate a norm. They want to hammer the norm,” Meyer told CNN.

The Trump transition team’s decision to bypass the FBI background check comes as Trump has nominated former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard for attorney general and National Intelligence director, respectively — both controversial picks. (more)

Because President Trump is making civics great again, it’s worth reminding everyone that President Trump has unilateral decision-making authority to grant anyone a security clearance. The President (atop the executive) can give anyone he chooses a top-secret security clearance status, simply by saying this person has top-secret security clearance. Yes, it really is that easy.

The President can choose his advisors and choose to share anything – even the most top-secret information in the country – with his advisors and cabinet members. That’s what we elect him/her to do; to use his/her judgement to make decisions.

This is one of the powers within the office that cannot be challenged by any other silo, branch or institution. The security clearance rules are what President Trump says the security clearance rules are.

There is no outside silo in the Executive Branch, who can supersede the decision of President Trump.
Mic drop.


Posted by:NoMoreBS

#11  This is the single most potent tool to tame the IC swamp!

The Musk "return to work" mandate will prob cut a lot of drones.
Posted by: Skidmark   2024-11-20 15:26  

#10  This is the single most potent tool to tame the IC swamp! Clearances are the literal life's blood of the IC world. Ruthless action to gut a few leading enemies access to the SCIF and those in the IC world with careers left to pursue will settle down, at least overtly, with many just bunkering in to see how long they are being monitored.
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2024-11-20 14:12  

#9  Trump has a phone & a pen?
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-11-20 12:54  

#8  Trump can pull clearances and he can grant clearances. He does not even really have to do it in writing, but I am sure he will.
Posted by: Super Hose   2024-11-20 12:16  

#7  Trump can pull the security clearance from anyone. First day he needs to pull them from all the active and retired CIA and military that supported the russia scandal. Then if the FBI slow rolls his cabinet he can start cutting the clearance at the top of every department that they are slow rolling, to include the heads of those departments. It would be a good start toward draining the swamp. hey can, of course appeal the decision, but that can take years...
Posted by: 49 Pan   2024-11-20 10:16  

#6  Easy enough to block assess to FBI computers for that entire department. No SIPERNET/JWICS for you
Posted by: DarthVader   2024-11-20 09:47  

#5  He should also revoke the clearances of any former officials. Like Brennan.

When I have a TS clearance, I immediately lost it when I left the position that required it.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2024-11-20 08:42  

#4  So does that men he can pull security clearances of evil-doers? After he is inaugurated, of course.
Posted by: Bobby   2024-11-20 08:12  

#3  Vance reveals Trump is interviewing possible FBI directors in now-deleted post
Posted by: Skidmark   2024-11-20 05:51  

#2  House Democrats introduce legislation to codify FBI's role in vetting White House appointees
Posted by: Skidmark   2024-11-20 05:50  

#1  But they gave Sam Britton nuclear clearance.
Posted by: Super Hose   2024-11-20 05:24  

00:00