Trump advisers propose bypassing FBI background checks for appointees (October 28, 2024)
www.theguardian.com

... Memo prepared by ex-president's team urges him to grant security clearances without government vetting if elected

Donald Trump's aides have floated the idea of granting immediate security clearances to officials in a second term and doing away with FBI background checks for appointees who might otherwise fail the process, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The plan would be intended to eliminate the risk of the former president's nominees for senior posts being subject to intrusive background investigations intended to check for criminal histories, conflicts of interest or other potential liabilities that would normally be deemed disqualifying.

The proposal, initially reported by the New York Times, also recommends hiring private investigators and researchers to carry out the vetting historically conducted by the FBI and other government agencies, of which Trump has grown suspicious.

The goal is to avoid a repeat of Trump's presidency when several appointees " including Jared Kushner, the ex-president's son-in-law " experienced long delays to their security clearance while the bureau conducted extensive and intrusive checks.

Kushner, who was a senior White House adviser and Middle East envoy under Trump, underwent months of background investigations for reasons that were never disclosed before the then president eventually overrode the process and ordered him to be given clearance.

Background checks on government appointees have been part of the US system for protecting classified national security secrets dating back to the second world war and early cold war.