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NBC: Flynn never completed CIA background check for Trump White House job
Flynn never completed CIA background check for Trump White House job
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn never completed the required background check with the CIA for his position in the Trump administration, NBC News reported Monday.
Flynn had a security clearance from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which was renewed in April 2016. But in January, when he became White House national security adviser, he was required to fill out a new security clearance form to be vetted by the FBI and the CIA, two officials told NBC News.
The background check was not completed before Flynn's resignation in February, the report claims.
It is common for clearances for new senior officials to be completed prior to the swearing in of a president, according to one outside lawyer familiar with security clearances who spokes with The Hill. But there are always exceptions if complications arise, the source said.
It is unclear if the CIA's review raised red flags or whether Flynn left the White House before the CIA presented its results.
Trump has repeatedly laid the blame for Flynn's security clearance at the feet of the previous administration. Former President Barack Obama fired Flynn in 2014, but Flynn maintained his DIA clearance. Earlier Monday, it was revealed that Obama personally warned Trump against hiring Flynn at a Nov. 10 meeting at the White House.
Flynn resigned in February after it was revealed that he misled several senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.
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