Trump advisers propose private agency, not FBI, issue security clearances to appointees, report

A group of at least six advisers to Donald Trump are reportedly circulating a memo that proposes the GOP presidential nominee, if elected, be allowed to issue security clearances to his appointees without the normal FBI background-check process.

The advisers include Boris Epshteyn, a legal adviser to Trump who is involved in his 2024 campaign, sources told The New York Times, which reported the story on Sunday.

Under the proposal, private-sector investigators would conduct the background checks on potential appointees, the sources said.

The report does not indicate whether Trump has reviewed the proposal or taken a position on the issue. He has been at odds with the FBI since his first term as president, arguing some within the agency, from bureaucrats to high-ranking officials, have attempted to undermine him, his administration and his political allies.