International

Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted the then White House chief of staff, John Kelly, to write an internal memo about how he had been ordered to give Kushner the top-secret clearance, according to the report.

The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining concerns raised about Kushner and how McGahn had recommended against the decision.

The Times said the memos contradicted a statement made by Trump in an interview with the newspaper in January that he had no role in Kushner’s receiving his clearance. In an interview with ABC News this month, Ivanka Trump, Kushner’s wife, said: “The president had no involvement pertaining to my clearance or my husband’s clearance, zero.”

The subject of Kushner’s security clearance has long plagued the White House and been a source of scrutiny for members of Congress.