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White House Security Office Official Testimony

Posted May 2019

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During both Republican and Democratic Administrations, congressional committees have investigated practices of the Office of White House Security, which is responsible for conducting security pre-screenings of candidates for White House employment and managing reports of security violations in the Executive Office of the President.

During these inquiries, at least four directors of the Office of White House Security have testified before Senate and House Committees. In addition, FBI agents conducting background investigations have testified about concerns they had about awarding security clearances to specific individuals, and committee staff have reviewed the FBI background files of specific individuals.

FBI Background Files
Charles Easley
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Director of White House Office of Security
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Clinton
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
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1996
Senate Hearing Testimony
FBI Background Files
Charles Easley
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Director of White House Office of Security
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Clinton
House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
-
1996
Deposition Testimony
FBI Background Files
Craig Livingstone
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Former Director of White House Office of Security
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Clinton
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
-
1996
Hearing Testimony
FBI Background Files
Craig Livingstone
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Former Director of White House Office of Security
-
Clinton
House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
-
1996
Deposition TestimonyHearing Testimony
FBI Background Files
Jane Dannenhauer
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Former Director of WH Office of Security
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Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I
House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
-
1996
Hearing Testimony
CIA Employee Identity Disclosure
James Knodell
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Director of White House Office of Security
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Bush II
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
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2007
Hearing Testimony

During the 2007 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigation of the disclosure of the identity of former CIA employee Valerie Plame, White House Security Office Director James Knodell testified about whether any disciplinary action was taken by his office regarding Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove and whether either Rove or the Press Secretary to the President had reported an inappropriate disclosure of Plame’s identity to his office.

Knodell Testimony
During the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee’s 1996 investigation into why the White House Office of Security had obtained FBI files of White House employees in prior administrations, the Committee:
  • Reviewed the content of the FBI background investigation files on two individuals: White House Office of Security Director Craig Livingstone and detailee Anthony Marceca;
  • Received testimony from FBI and Secret Service agents about both information in individual appointee background checks that raised concerns and conversations that a Secret Service agent had with an Associate White House Counsel about the concerns.

The Committee’s final report stated:

“The importance of following procedures and determining the suitability of staff members is to protect both the President, personally, and the vast amount of sensitive information at the White House. At no place is it more important that individuals of the highest caliber serve in positions of responsibility than at the White House. The White House handles matters of life and death on a daily basis and the American people must be able to rely upon stable and suitable people being involved in this process.”

House Oversight Report