Reports that Natalie Harp, one of US President Donald Trump's closest aides, worked in the White House for approximately one year without the necessary clearance to access classified information have raised new questions about security issues.
Modern.az reports that "MS NOW" published this information, citing two sources.
According to the information, Harp, who holds the position of executive assistant to the US president, did not go through the standard clearance procedure for access to classified information for a year. It is reported that she refused to fill out the required documents for this for an unknown reason.
The situation only changed after employees of the White House Office of Legal Counsel brought the matter to attention and Trump himself intervened. After this, Harp filled out the documents required for a federal investigation and consequently obtained clearance to access classified information.
Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics expert, called what happened “shocking.”
“It is astonishing that an aide who could potentially have access to the nation's most sensitive secrets worked for so long without clearance to access classified information,” he said.
According to Eisen, this situation demonstrates the Trump administration's willingness to disregard established procedures and create national security risks for individuals in whom the president places special trust.
The White House, however, rejected these accusations. Presidential press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “Natalie Harp, like others, has clearance to access classified information.” She characterized Harp as a loyal and hardworking member of the president's team.
Nevertheless, reports of a delay in formalizing Harp's clearance have also caused concern among former Republican officials.
Richard Painter, who served as chief legal counsel for ethics in the administration of former US President George W. Bush, noted that White House employees typically undergo a biographical check. However, according to him, additional clearance to access classified information is not required for every employee, and its necessity depends on the nature of access to classified information.
Painter stated that if Harp accompanies the president during his travels, the situation could become more serious.
According to him, the aide could accidentally overhear conversations where classified information is discussed while near Trump, for example, on the presidential plane “Air Force One.” In this case, the lack of appropriate clearance could become a potential national security problem.
35-year-old Natalie Harp is known for surviving cancer and being an active supporter of Trump. US media presents her as one of the president's most loyal aides.
Harp also assists with Trump's social media posts and regularly provides the president with printed copies of positive materials about him. For this, she has been nicknamed “the human printer.”
Harp's loyalty to Trump is also described in the book "Regime Change" authored by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan this year. According to the authors' claims, Harp wrote letters expressing her admiration for Trump. In one of them, she is reported to have told Trump, “The only thing that matters to me is you.”
Against this backdrop, questions about how one of Trump's closest White House employees could work for a long time without the necessary clearance to access classified information have become even more sensitive.
