Ivanka and Jared 2: Tarnished Gold

[Howl]

And more Sarah:

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

Elijah Cummings to the rescue!

 

[Howl]

and this

 

[Dandruff]

Even if Kushner is removed, he already had access to sensitive information.  What to do about that?

Silly question, maybe:  Did Trump, or any President, need to apply and be approved for a clearance?

[Howl]

29 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

Did Trump, or any President, need to apply and be approved for a clearance?

My sense is that being elected President IS the security clearance.  

[GreyhoundFan]

8 minutes ago, Howl said:

My sense is that being elected President IS the security clearance.  

In the past, most candidates have held either public office or been in the military, which would have been grounds for at least a low level clearance. Also, in the past, candidates were vetted, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

[Dandruff]

47 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

In the past, most candidates have held either public office or been in the military, which would have been grounds for at least a low level clearance. Also, in the past, candidates were vetted, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

Wouldn't it make sense to require that candidates be thoroughly and positively vetted before getting on a ballot?  Issues relating to tax returns and foreign relationships (among others) could be confronted before it's essentially too late.  I suspect that many potential candidates would think twice before entering the field, which would tend to streamline the election process.

[AmazonGrace]

Abbe Lowell worried about his own reputation. (Betting officials refers to Ivanka and Jared) 

 

[Howl]

A refresher on this guy: Besides running in the last presidential election as a Independent, Evan McMullin is a former CIA operations officer who served in the Middle East, has an MBA from Wharton, was a senior adviser on national security issues for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2013–2015, and served as a chief policy director for the House Republican Conference in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 2015 through July 2016.

He also wrote this piece right before the results of the mid terms were known:   Trump is going to escalate his attacks on American democracy post-election, no matter who wins   Leaders committed to self-preservation do not curtail their efforts to dismantle checks on their power under the threat of accountability.

[Howl]

15 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Even if Kushner is removed, he already had access to sensitive information.  What to do about that?

Excellent question. A days go on, we'll see if the remedy is a legal one.   I've been posting Sarah Kendzior tweets upthread.   From a tweet of hers I posted yesterday: 

Quote

To continue where I left off on that year-old tweet, it is not enough to remove Kushner's clearance. Admin doesn't care about protocol. Kushner needs to be removed, period: he needs to be indicted. He is a massive national security threat and has already done incredible damage.

Jared is running around with full access to foreign malign actors with ZERO accountability.  All signs point to him setting up favorable current and future business deals and loans, but the question now and always is, What's the quid pro quo?  

Edited March 2, 2019 by Howl

[WiseGirl]

More Sarah. Scary shit.

[Dandruff]

4 hours ago, Howl said:

Excellent question. A days go on, we'll see if the remedy is a legal one.

Can whatever damage may have been done be quantified?

[Howl]

23 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Even if Kushner is removed, he already had access to sensitive information.  What to do about that?

More Sarah Kendzior: 

 

[Dandruff]

20 hours ago, Howl said:

More Sarah Kendzior: 

 

How has Kushner jeopardized national security?  I'm not trying to defend him in any way, but I don't understand exactly what the legal system would be acting on.  Seems to me, if he truly jeopardized national security, that having the clearance might make him more liable for prosecution than if he wasn't cleared but had been given the same information.

[fraurosena]

28 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

How has Kushner jeopardized national security?  I'm not trying to defend him in any way, but I don't understand exactly what the legal system would be acting on.  Seems to me, if he truly jeopardized national security, that having the clearance might make him more liable for prosecution than if he wasn't cleared but had been given the same information.

Kushner has been thoroughly vetted by the intelligence community and found to be a security risk. This means that in all probability he is compromised. He is very chummy with MBS and other nefarious people, who do not have America's best interests at heart. And he can be giving them all sorts of secret intel that could be detrimental to the safety of America and Americans. He can be giving sensitive information about security measures. He could be giving away information about troops in Syria, putting their lives at serious risk. He can be sharing information on how to make nuclear weapons with MBS. He can be giving away secret intel to China. And those are just the things that I can think of off the top of my head. The intelligence agencies do not take their vetting lightly. When they say he should not have a security clearance, then you can safely say he is a dangerous person to be giving secret intel  to. Why else is that information secret if not to keep it from falling into the hands of others you don't want to have that information? That is why this is such a big deal. Who knows what he has shared with others? Who knows what damage he has done, or the danger he has put America and Americans in? 

Also, security clearance or not, if somebody shares secret intel with others, that in and of itself is a treasonous act. So in light of liability for prosecution, having it or not is moot. 

[Dandruff]

57 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

The intelligence agencies do not take their vetting lightly. When they say he should not have a security clearance, then you can safely say he is a dangerous person to be giving secret intel  to.

I fully agree, but am wondering how Kushner could be legally prosecuted for things he might do vs. things that it can be proven he has done or is currently doing.  If the risk exists, which I believe it does, then he should not be in a position to be able to receive and potentially misuse sensitive information.  Is there a way this removal could occur that wouldn't also involve removing his FIL's access to the information?

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

11 hours ago, Dandruff said:

I fully agree, but am wondering how Kushner could be legally prosecuted for things he might do vs. things that it can be proven he has done or is currently doing.  If the risk exists, which I believe it does, then he should not be in a position to be able to receive and potentially misuse sensitive information.  Is there a way this removal could occur that wouldn't also involve removing his FIL's access to the information?

Of course one can't be prosecuted for something you might do, only for things you actually have done. Sadly, i don't think the danger of Kushner sharing information will be dissipated even if he is removed from the WH. Even sadder, his FIL shouldn't have access to secret intel either, because I'm pretty sure he's giving away secrets left right and centre. Remember his cosy get together with the Russians in the Oval Office the day after he fired Comey? And don't forget his very secretive meetings with Putin. 

One of the many things that can be learned from this presiduncy, is that the rules surrounding eligibility to run for the presidency need to change. For example, it should be mandatory to vet each and every candidate for the presidency. Without approval from the intel agencies stating they are not a security risk, they should not be allowed to run for that office. Furthermore, it should be mandatory that the candidates personal and campaign finances are transparent and shared for scrutiny by Congress and the public. 

[onekidanddone]

6 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

I know body shaming is a horrible thing to do but every time I see an ugly FoxSpews blond disgusting mug I want to puke. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

[47of74]

 

[Howl]

Ivanka's on the hot seat now as well.  Apparently Trump did the same thing as he did with Jared - pushed for Ivanka to have a security clearance. 

I did a quick google search and found that Ivanka and Jared are both government employees, and subject to the same ethics requirements as all other government employees.

[AmazonGrace]

Because of course he did