Week 33 of 2018 and this week’s Whiner Of The Week is Ex-CIA Director John Brennan.
On August 15, 2018 White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that President Trump ordered that Former CIA Director John Brennan security clearance be revoked.
This caused an immediate uproar from the media and Democrats as there is a belief that this is a violation of his free speech.
Security Clearances in America are granted by the Executive Branch of which the President is the leader.
When citizens are offered the privilege of obtaining a clearance it is based on a Need-To-Know. When a person leaves a project, or their employment, they normally lose access to material protected by that clearance.
In the past it has been an accepted practice for some individuals to temporarily to retain their clearances if they have significant technical or historical information that might be useful to their predecessors. Over time their value of being called in for discussions is diminished. The job, Director of CIA certainly qualifies as job where there is value in retaining a former Director’s clearance for some time period for consultation purposes. A question here is what is an appropriate time period?
The President also has the final word on what is classified, and what is not. However, in nearly all cases the setting of levels is a task delegated to the security teams of the America’s various agencies.
When employees sign their security clearance contracts they sign up to the idea that they serve at the pleasure of whomever is the President of the United States. Surely John Brennan realizes this based on the many Security Contracts he must have signed in the past.
They also understand their privilege of a Clearance is based on the need-to-know, and when their employment at a sub-contractor, or within the government terminates, this need-to-know need is substantially reduced.
A Security Clearance is not a lifelong privilege. It is not a perk.
John Brennan not been CIA Director for nearly 20 months now. He no longer has a “Need-To-Know”.
John Brennan is no longer serving at the Pleasure of the President. In fact, he has become adversarial. He accused the President of treason, which could have a penalty of death.
It is appropriate that his access to Classified Material be terminated.
If an occasion arises in the future where classified information is required, that is only stored in John Brennan’s brain. Then he could receive a temporary reinstatement of his clearance, and he could be ushered into a SCIF for a discussion.
Some have said that the President’s decision was politically motivated. Hmm, probably so, the President is a Politician. What can we say?
Has John Brennan 1st Amendment rights been reduced by the President’s action? We think not. In fact he may be inspired to increase his public speaking based on losing his clearances.
Significant Notes:
January of 2013 – Nominated by President Obama to be the Director of the CIA.
March of 2014 – Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, accused the agency of violating constitutional boundaries by spying on the Senate. Democrat Mark Udall stated, “I have no choice but to call for the resignation of CIA director John Brennan,” Udall said after a briefing on the inspector general’s findings.
July of 2014 – John Brennan was forced to apologize to leaders of the US Senate intelligence committee on Thursday, conceding that under his orders and direction that CIA agency employees spied on US Senate committee staff, reversing months of furious and public denials.
January of 2017 – John Brennan resigns as Director of the CIA in a normal political transition.
March of 2018 – In March 2018, John Brennan tweeted – When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America…America will triumph over you.
July of 2018 – Senator Rand Paul called for his security Clearance to be revoked.
August 15, 2018 – White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that President Trump ordered that Former CIA Director John Brennan security clearance be revoked.