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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: June 2017

May 2017

• Who Will Take Away the Son-in-Law's Security Clearance? by Dan Froomkin and Caroline Fredrickson, ACS Blog, May 31. "The granting and revocation of security clearances is the exclusive prerogative of the executive branch, currently headed by Kushner's father-in-law."
• Trump's vow to find intelligence leakers is easier said than done, say former FBI officials by Andrea Noble, Washington Times, May 29. "Leak investigations generally start by process of elimination, and the more people who had access to the leaked information, the trickier it is to pinpoint the source, say former FBI officials and government secrecy experts."
• Leaks: A Uniquely American Way of Annoying the Authorities by Scott Shane, New York Times, May 25. "Is there something particularly American about leaking? Some national allergy to protecting government secrets? Yes, in fact, there is."
• Trump's loose lips drive allies to reassess U.S. access to intel by Tim Johnson, McClatchy Newspapers, May 25. "President Donald Trump's loose lips aren't just causing him political trouble anymore. Now they're putting at risk vital global intelligence sharing with allies whose spies have helped thwart terrorist attacks on the United States."
• White House reels from another self-inflicted crisis by Tara McKelvey, BBC News, May 16. "The relationship between this White House and the intelligence agencies hasn't been great. President Donald Trump's recent disclosures have made things worse."
• How Government Secrets Are Declassified and Disclosed by Charlie Savage, New York Times, May 15. "The news that President Trump disclosed highly classified information about the Islamic State during a meeting with Russian officials, jeopardizing an ally's intelligence source, has raised interest in legal issues surrounding disclosures of classified information."
• Is it legal for Trump to share classified intelligence? Yes, but risky, experts say by Kevin Johnson and Maureen Groppe, USA Today, May 15. "Legal analysts and secrecy experts said Monday that American presidents have broad authority to disclose classified information, making them virtually immune from prosecution."
• Ex-intelligence leaders: 'Nightmare' if Trump leaked to Russia by Bryan Bender, Politico, May 15. "The president could have hampered the U.S. response to ISIS, security experts say."
• Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information To Russians During White House Visit by Jim Dalrymple II and Jason Leopold, Buzzfeed, May 15. "The president disclosed classified intelligence with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister last week, two US officials confirmed to BuzzFeed News."
• Donald Trump's Pants on Fire claim Russia story 'made-up' by Democrats by Jon Greenberg, Politifact, May 12. "The question is whether Democrats plucked the idea out of thin air. A few highlights from the past year say otherwise."
• Trump's pointing of the finger at Obama for failing to vet Flynn by Glenn Kessler, Washington Post Fact Checker, May 9. "White House officials acknowledge that Flynn was still awaiting a CIA clearance when he was fired by Trump. At the time he was fired, Flynn had an interim clearance in order to allow him to do his job."
• Are government leakers bringing about the end of secrets?, by Jack Detsch, Christian Science Monitor, May 4. "In an age of Wikileaks, Hal Martin, and Shadow Brokers, is the US overclassifying documents it cannot protect?"

Older News: April 2017

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Updated June 7, 2017