March 10 (UPI) — National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday that dozens of officials from the former Biden administration have had their security clearances revoked and their access to classified information banned.
Those stripped of their security clearances on Monday include former top Biden administration officials Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid and Norman Eisen.
Others affected include New York Attorney General Letitia James, who secured a civil fraud judgment against Trump, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who won a criminal election interference case against the president.
Andrew Weissman, who investigated Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign over alleged collusion with Russia, was also among those named as were the 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter stating a story involving Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was part of a Russian interference campaign.
Gabbard, in a statement, added that former President Joe Biden would also no longer be provided with the President’s Daily Briefing.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly used his executive powers since returning to the White House six weeks ago to exact retribution against his political adversaries, which he campaigned on.
An executive order signed on Jan. 20, Trump’s first day in office, directed Gabbard to revoke security clearances for those involved in signing the Hunter Biden-related letter within 90 days, as well as for any who “engaged in inappropriate conduct related to the letter.”
“Hmmm, so where are my due process protections?” Zaid, a national security lawyer who represented intelligence community whistleblowers, said on X on Monday in response. “You are familiar with Executive Order 12,968, are you not? Still in effect!”
Executive Order 12968 of 1995 established a uniform federal personnel security program for employees who are considered for initial or continued access to classified information.
Trump has also used executive orders to target law firms linked to his political opponents.
On Thursday, he suspended security clearances for lawyers at Perkins Coie, a law firm Trump has attacked over its connections to the 2016 campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Late last month, he issued a similar directive for lawyers at Covington & Burling over its association with Jack Smith, a former special counsel who twice investigated Trump.
Both of those executive orders direct the government to review all contracts it may have with the law firms.
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