THEY GOWDY, SOUTH CAROLINA ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, MARYLAND

CHAIRMAN RANKING MINORITY MEMBER

@ungress at the Tle?tth ?tatea

39mm of Representatives

ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
2157 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515?6143

MAJORITY (2 22 5?5074
{202] 225?5051



February 14, 2018

The Honorable John F. Kelly
Chief of Staff

The White House
Washington, DC. 20006

Dear Gen. Kelly:

Yesterday, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Christopher Wray testi?ed the
FBI completed its security clearance background investigation of former White House staff
secretary Rob Porter last year.1 This statement may contradict a statement by White House Press
Secretary Sarah Sanders on Monday in which she said the White House ?learned the extent of
the situation involving Rob Porter last Tuesday evening [February 6, 2018]? and at the time it
?was ongoing, hadn?t been completed.?2

The Committee is investigating the policies and processes by which interim security
clearances are investigated and adjudicated within the Executive Branch, and the extent to which
any security clearance issued to Porter comported with those policies and processes. In
particular, the Committee seeks to better understand the criteria and the scope of an investigation
for determining whether to issue an interim security clearance generally; what information was 
available to the adjudicator of Porter?s interim clearance at the time it was adjudicated; who
adjudicated his clearance; and what derogatory information was subsequently made available to
the White House on Porter, when, and to whom.

To assist the Committee?s oversight of this matter, please provide information suf?cient
to show:

1. Policies, practices, and procedures relating to the investigation and issuance of interim
security clearances, including interim clearances for White House personnel;

2. Whether the adjudications of Porter?s interim and ?nal clearance were consistent with the
policies, practices, and procedures identi?ed in item 

 

Worldwide Threats: Hearing before the S. Select Comm. on Intelligence, 115th Cong. (Feb. 13, 2018).
2 Press Brie?ng by Sarah Sanders, Press Secretary, February 12, 2018, available at
I 2 1 

The Honorable John F. Kelly
February 14, 2018
Page 2

3. The date on which any White House employee became aware of potential derogatory or
disqualifying information on Porter from the date of his appointment to February 12,
2018, and which individual was so noti?ed; and

4. The security clearance adjudication dates for Porter, including both interim and ?nal
clearance.

Provide the requested information as soon as possible, but no later than February 28,
2018. Under Rule X, clause 1(n) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform has jurisdiction over the federal civil service, management of
government operations, and government records, which include classi?cation of those records,
security clearances, and personnel background investigations.

Please contact Steve Castor of the majority staff at (202) 225-5074 with any questions
about this request. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

 

Trey Gowdy
Enclosure

cc: The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings