White House chief of staff John Kelly will make the final call on whether Jared Kushner will get a full security clearance, President Donald Trump announced Friday.
Kelly is trying to improve the White House security clearance process after two aides resigned under pressure following reports they were abusive to their former wives.
Kelly's deadline ends Friday; he said last week temporary clearances for staffers with background checks pending since June 1 or earlier would be discontinued. Kushner is widely reported to be on that list of White House employees.
But press secretary Sarah Sanders said Kushner's work would not be affected by Kelly's overhaul. Kushner has a wide array of responsibilities, from American innovation to negotiating peace in the Middle East. Officially a senior adviser to the president, Trump's son-in-law has come under special counsel Robert Mueller's scrutiny due to his foreign business dealings.
