Team investigating President Trump may have mishandled classified documents themselves

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) called on Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) William J. Pulte to review the security clearance eligibility of former members of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team following reported failures to properly handle classified information.

In a letter to the DNI, CASA requested an investigation into the conduct of Smith’s staff, including Molly Gaston, Thomas Windom, Carli Rodriguez-Feo, Julie Edelstein, William O’Neil, Stephanie Van Buskirk, and potentially others, and, if warranted, the revocation of security clearances for any individuals found to have violated classified information handling requirements.

Messages obtained by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley raise serious questions about potential breaches of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) and classified information protocols by the team, including allegations that an individual was cleared without a need-to-know confirmation and that a SCIF containing highly sensitive national security information was left open overnight.

Smith’s team was targeting President Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents at the time and would have been intimately familiar with the rules governing classified information.

“As recent documents from Senator Grassley’s office have shown, several members of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office were extremely careless when handling classified documents and with the security of designated classified areas,” said CASA Director James Fitzpatrick.

 

“Given these troubling findings, we think it is appropriate for Acting Director Pulte to initiate an immediate review into the clearances of these individuals and believe enough evidence likely exists per the relevant National Security Adjudicative Guidelines to restrict their access to classified information moving forward.”

About CASA

The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the safety and security of the American people. CASA educates and informs the public about the actions of their government and its officials that impact their safety; peace and security; democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties; and privacy.