Democratic Leader Pelosi Wants Kushner's Security Clearance Revoked
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) called Thursday for President Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, to have his security clearance immediately revoked.
Pelosi's statement comes after President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., released an email chain that showed he set up a meeting with a "Russian government attorney" who claimed to have damaging information on then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Trump Jr. invited his brother-in-law, Kushner, and then-Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, to the June 2016 meeting with the Russian government attorney, according to Trump Jr.'s emails.
Jared Kushner's security clearance must be immediately revoked. #ProtectOurDemocracy
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 13, 2017
Pelosi is not alone in calling for Kushner's clearance to be revoked and for the incident to be investigated.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-East Bay) called for Kushner's clearance to be revoked two days earlier.
Swalwell has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration and its alleged ties to Russia. He has even created a webpage devoted to the links between the Trump administration and the Kremlin.
With Trump Jr. admissions on #RussiaHacking, here's what must happen:
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 11, 2017
-- Ind. Commission
-- Revoke Kushner clearance
-- No sanctions relief
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) has called for Trump Jr. to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday that he is sending a letter to request Trump Jr.'s presence before the committee.
Grassley said he thinks Trump Jr. would welcome the opportunity to testify before the committee.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) claims Trump Jr., Kushner and Manafort violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and has asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate.
President Trump, speaking in Paris, said his son "took a meeting with a Russian lawyer, not a government lawyer, but a Russian lawyer."
The president said these types of meetings are "very standard in politics" and that "nothing came of the meeting."
On Wednesday, Trump's nominee for FBI Director, Christopher Wray, told a Senate panel at his confirmation hearing, "Any threat or effort to interfere with our election from any nation state or any nonstate actor is the kind of thing the FBI would want to know."
By Hannah Albarazi - Follow her on Twitter: @hannahalbarazi.