7 hours ago
by: David J Lynch in Washington
An influx of fresh faces is what Mr Trump’s voters, disgusted by Washington insiders, want from the new president. But many newcomers to government will be confronted by their first clearance investigations. Others could have overseas ties that must be probed at a time when investigations for “Top Secret†clearances
are taking on average 225 days, almost three times the government’s goal.
“I think it’s going to be significantly harder,†Steven Bongardt, a retired FBI agent who once conducted background checks, says of the round of vetting Mr Trump’s nominees. “Especially if he’s trying to deal with people who haven’t been in an administration before — 4,000 people who
don’t have a track record of being a DC insider.â€
There have also been conflicting reports about Mr Trump’s children and his influential son-in-law, Jared Kushner. After reports that a transition official last week had inquired about giving Mr Trump’s relatives the right to see classified material, the president-elect tweeted: “
I am not trying to get ‘top level security clearance’ for my children.â€
https://www.ft.com/content/23a4bec2-adda-11e6-9cb3-bb8207902122