White House: Dem Probe Into Security Clearances 'Shameful'

Attempts by House Democrats to investigate the White House's security clearance process is "dangerous" and "shameful," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Tuesday.

Sanders insisted Democrats are "putting the 3 million people that do have a security clearance at risk. If you [pull] one individual, you're putting all 3 million people's personal information at risk."

She did not further explain why a probe by Democrats would put in jeopardy the data of so many government employees and contractors, according to The Hill.

Sanders' comments came after a White House whistleblower told Congress on Monday dozens of rejected security clearance applications were overturned by the Trump administration, resulting in "grave" security risks, the BBC reported.

Tricia Newbold, an 18-year-veteran White House security adviser, testified to the Democratic-led House Oversight and Reform Committee, which is looking into how top White House officials were approved for clearances despite objections from career security officials.

Sanders said the White House has "cooperated" with the committee by giving them information on the general clearance process, but Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said the White House has prevented requests for information on clearances for specific individuals.

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