Trump

    

Entrenched bureaucrats are using the vetting process for security clearances as a “weapon” in order to block President Trump’s appointees, according to a new Wall Street Journal piece.

In the op-ed, security clearance defense attorney Sean M. Bigley writes about representing a senior Defense Department official who called out “cronyism” at a Pentagon office and faced clearance revocation as a result.

In the course of representing Adam S. Lovinger, Bigley wrote that he has had a “front-row seat to behavior that only a year ago I would have dismissed as a conspiracy theory.”

“You have very hostile, entrenched bureaucrats, folks who are not a fan of President Trump, and they have essentially decided security clearances are the low-hanging fruit. They are using security clearances as a way … to keep people out of the bureaucracy who will execute the president’s agenda,” Bigley said Friday on “America’s Newsroom.”

Bigley said the longer Trump’s nominees are blocked from Senate confirmation, the longer “acting officials” can remain and attempt to “govern through the administrative state.”

He said the recent case of VA secretary nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson followed the same “playbook,” as the Navy admiral was accused of workplace misconduct and eventually withdrew himself from consideration.

“You sort of throw unverified allegations against the wall, see what sticks, and in the process really destroy people’s careers,” said Bigley, calling on the Trump administration to realize the “extent” of the problem and for Congress to hold hearings on the matter.