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House Democrats demand security clearances information from White House
Washington, March 2 (IANS) A Democratic House committee chairman has demanded key documents and interview potential witnesses from the White House in the wake of a report that President Donald Trump personally intervened to grant his son-in-law a top-secret clearance despite legal and national security concerns.
The chairman, Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland who leads the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on Friday accused the White House in a new letter of delaying his requests for information and implied that if it did not comply voluntarily, he would issue a subpoena to compel its cooperation, reports The New York Times.
He said Thursday’s report, published by The New York Times, added new concerns that Trump was lying to the public about his role in the clearance process to existing and broader questions about irregularities surrounding who should have access to sensitive government secrets.
“If true, these new reports raise grave questions about what derogatory information career officials obtained about (Jared) Kushner to recommend denying him access to our nation’s most sensitive secrets,” Cummings wrote in a letter to Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel.
The letter went on to ask about “why President Trump concealed his role in overruling that recommendation… and why your office is continuing to withhold key documents and witnesses from this Committee”.
Thursday’s report said that Trump’s intervention concerned senior administration officials that John F. Kelly, the then White House chief of staff, documented the action in a contemporaneous internal memo that said he had been “ordered” to grant ushner a top-secret clearance.
The Times also reported that Donald F. McGahn II, the then White House counsel, wrote a memo of his own documenting concerns raised by the CIA and other officials about Kushner.
McGahn, the memo noted, had recommended against giving him such broad access to the government’s secrets.
In January, Trump told The New York Times that he had no role in Kushner’s clearance.
Cummings has been pursuing reported irregularities by the White House and the Trump transition team since 2017, when Republicans were in control of the House.
But he started a broad inquiry of his own last month after taking control of the oversight panel, Congress’s most muscular investigative body, which he said he hoped would shine light on any national security risks that may exist.
He has specifically requested information on the clearances of nine current and former administration officials, including Kushner.
Cummings has also asked for documents related to a review of the security clearance process that Kelly conducted in 2018 which concluded there were serious flaws in the system meant to vet high-level officials. He also wants to talk to “all personnel in the White House Personnel Security Office”.
The White House, he said on Friday, has thus far not complied.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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