INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When the White House announced on Wednesday [8-15-18] that President Trump was revoking or reviewing the security clearances of former officials who have emerged as some of his chief political antagonists, the list also included a little-known career Justice Department official, Bruce Ohr. Mr. Ohr has found himself at the center of a right-wing conspiracy theory about the origins of the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference. A lawyer who worked on anti-gang and anti-drug initiatives, he has no direct involvement in the inquiry, but losing his clearance could affect his ability to do his job. Mr. Ohr’s name came at the end of a list of former officials whom Mr. Trump accused of leveraging their access to sensitive information for personal gain…Asked why Mr. Ohr was named when he is still a government employee and whether that meant Mr. Trump believed he should be fired, Ms. Sanders only repeated that his clearance was under review. Democrats and others attacked his inclusion on the list as an abuse of presidential power and an intrusion on the independence of law enforcement.”
–Katie Benner, “Little-Known Justice Dept. Official Makes Trump’s Security Clearance List,” August 15, 2018