Leaked memo reveals plan for Trump to skip 'traditional background checks' if elected: NYT
An internal memo from those closest to Donald Trump puts forth a plan for the former president to "bypass traditional background checks" and give appointees "immediate access to classified secrets after taking office," according to Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.
Haberman, along with Jonathan Swan and Charlie Savage, on Sunday published a piece in which they reveal the details of the memo, which purportedly "says that if elected he should use private firms to check appointees’ backgrounds and give them immediate access to classified secrets after taking office."
"A memo circulating among at least half a dozen advisers to former President Donald J. Trump recommends that if he is elected, he bypass traditional background checks by law enforcement officials and immediately grant security clearances to a large number of his appointees after being sworn in, according to three people briefed on the matter," the report says. "The proposal is being promoted by a small group including Boris Epshteyn, a top legal adviser to Mr. Trump who was influential in its development, according to the three people."
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Although the report states that it's not clear whether Trump intends to enact the plan, it emphasizes that, if he does, "it would allow him to quickly install loyalists in major positions without subjecting them to the risk of long-running and intrusive F.B.I. background checks, potentially increasing the risks of people with problematic histories or ties to other nations being given influential White House roles."
"Such checks hung up clearances for a number of aides during Mr. Trump’s presidency, including Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Mr. Epshteyn himself," according to the report.
The report goes on to say that, under the plan, the Trump White House would use private-sector investigators instead of the FBI to do the background checks. It also quotes multiple inside sources close to the campaign.
"Once Mr. Trump took the oath, he would then summarily approve a large group for access to classified secrets, they said," according to the report.
National security attorney Bradley Moss responded to the new report, saying, "Yep, this was inevitable."