White House rejects House's security clearance document request

The White House has rejected a House committee’s request for documents related to possible abuses of the security clearance system.

The request came after accusations that the Trump administration granted security clearances to more than two dozen officials over the objections of career officials.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone called the House Oversight Committee’s attempts to obtain FBI background investigation files “highly improper” and that it shows a “total disregard for individual privacy,” according to a nine-page letter dated Wednesday and obtained by POLITICO.

“Respectfully, it is not within the authority of Congress to second guess how the President selects his advisors or who has access to the information necessary to provide the President with fully-informed advice,” Cipollone wrote to Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).

While career officials give recommendations on whether individuals are eligible for a security clearance, the president has the ultimate authority on the matter.