U.S. revokes security clearance for dozens of officials

The national intelligence office on Tuesday stripped 37 current and former intelligence professionals of their security clearances, according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The individuals who lost their clearance undermined the standards of integrity, objectivity, and stewardship by placing their personal interests above the interests of the American people, she said. Those named in Gabbard’s memo were accused of politicizing or weaponizing intelligence to advance personal agendas, failing to safeguard classified information, failing to adhere to professional trade standards, or engaging in conduct that was detrimental to the trust required for access to national security information. The revocation of their clearance was immediate.

Who is included in the list? The vast majority of those who lost their clearance no longer work for the federal government, including former Senior Director for Global Engagement at the National Security Council Andrew Cedar. The list also includes former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs Andrew Miller and a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Numerous former staffers for the National Security Council and USAID lost access to sensitive information, as did former intelligence analysts. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report about Gabbard firing top intelligence officials after accusing them of politicizing their work.