WASHINGTON — The Defense Intelligence Agency has suspended ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn's security clearance pending a review, a defense official said Wednesday.
Flynn, a former director of the agency who was dismissed from that post, was forced to resign this week after the White House said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. before the inauguration.
Flynn and the Russian appear to have discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia late last year, raising questions about whether he was freelancing on foreign policy while President Barack Obama was still in office and whether he misled Trump administration officials about the calls.
A defense official said Flynn's security clearance was suspended Tuesday evening — a standard administrative action taken when questions arise concerning an individual's compliance with security clearance directives. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, spoke only on condition of anonymity,
Obama dismissed Flynn as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Flynn has said he was pushed out for holding tougher views than Obama about Islamic extremism. But a former senior U.S. official said the firing was for insubordination, after Flynn failed to follow guidance from superiors.
Former directors of the agency are routinely allowed to keep their security clearances so that they can advise the current director.
