Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner ‘among dozens given security clearance by Trump White House despite grave risks’

Dozens of people in Donald Trump’s administration initially rejected for US security clearance due to “serious disqualifying issues” had the decision overturned by senior administration officials, a whistle-blower has claimed.

The individuals include the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, according to Reuters.

Tricia Newbold, who has worked in the White House for 18 years and who oversaw the issuance of clearances for some senior White House aides, said she had a list of at least 25 people who were rejected due to concerns over issues including drug use, foreign influence and criminal conduct.

Ms Newbold, who testified to the Democratic-led House Oversight and Reform Committee in a day-long private interview last month, did not name the individuals, but said “two current senior White House officials, as well as contractors and individuals” had their rejections overturned and work in various parts of the Executive Office of the President.

Reuters said "two sources familiar with the information" had named the senior officials as Ms Trump and Mr Kushner.

The allegations were detailed in a letter and memo released on Monday by Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the chairman of the committee.

The memo said: “According to Ms Newbold, these individuals had a wide range of serious disqualifying issues involving foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use and criminal conduct.”

"I would not be doing a service to myself, my country, or my children if I sat back knowing that the issues that we have could impact national security," she said.

Mr Cummings’ committee said it is investigating how Ms Trump, her husband Mr Kushner, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and National Security Advisor John Bolton received their security clearances.

The investigation has gathered momentum since The New York Times reported Mr Trump ordered then-chief of staff John Kelly to grant Mr Kushner an interim clearance, despite the objections of national security officials.

On Monday, Mr Cummings said this week he will authorise his first subpoena in the investigation. The subpoena will be for the deposition of Carl Kline, who served as the White House personnel security director and supervised Ms Newbold. He has since left the White House for the Defense Department.

“The Committee respects the President’s authority to grant security clearances,” Mr Cummings said in a statement. “However, the White House must respect Congress’ co-equal and independent authority to investigate who has been given access to our nation’s secrets, how they obtained that access, the extent to which national security has been compromised, and whether Congress should amend current laws to improve national security and enhance transparency over these decisions.”

Mr Cummings said Ms Newbold had “come forward at great personal risk to warn Congress—and the nation—about the grave security risks she has been witnessing first-hand over the past two years.”

Speaking about the reaction in the White House, Ms Newbold told the committee: “I’m terrified of going back. I know that this will not be perceived in favour of my intentions, which is to bring back the integrity of the office.”

Democrat politicians have consistently claimed the president was abusing security clearance rules.

The most senior Republican on the House Oversight Committee, Representative Jim Jordan, called the allegations a "partisan attack on the White House".

“Chairman Cummings’ investigation is not about restoring integrity to the security clearance process,” he said in a statement. “It is an excuse to go fishing through the personal files of dedicated public servants.”

The White House and representatives for Ms Trump and Mr Kushner are yet to make any comment regarding the allegations.