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A recent report in the Wall Street Journal that Elon Musk uses ketamine at parties could prompt an investigation into his security clearance, two attorneys who specialize in national security law told Insider. Drug use is typically grounds for the government to yank someone's security clearance, the two national security attorneys told Insider. Security clearance applicants are specifically required to disclose whether they have used ketamine on SF-86, the standard application form used to apply for a clearance. Edmunds, the security clearance attorney, said that in his experience, there is a "very prevalent" double standard for security clearance infractions, wherein defense contracting executives and higher-ranking government officials receive more permissive treatment than their subordinates. Musk boosts the benefits of drug useAfter the Rogan incident, Musk told "60 Minutes" that he didn't regularly smoke pot.

Persons: Elon, Joe Rogan's, Musk, yank, Dan Meyer, Tully, Alan Edmunds, Meyer, Doug Hurley, Bob Behnken, Joe Burbank, SpaceX's, Spirit AeroSystems, Leonardo, Edmunds, Mark Zaid, Marijuana, Rogan, It's, Tesla, Sam Altman Organizations: Street, NASA, Air Force, Elon, SpaceX, Tesla, The Defense Department, Bloomberg, CNBC, National Reconnaissance Office, Space Force, Kennedy Space Center, Orlando Sentinel, Tribune, Service, Getty, Defense Department, National Intelligence, Defense Counterintelligence, Security Agency, Spirit, Terran, FDA, Washington Post, Politico, New York Times, Twitter Locations: Florida, United States

☆ 'Speedy trial' promised by special counsel in Trump case may not go so fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. Constitution guarantees criminal defendants the right to a speedy trial, and defendants in federal cases are allowed to have a trial start as soon as 70 days from the time they are indicted. Smith's pledge for a speedy trial makes sense because he doesn't want to interfere with the election process, said defense attorney Mark Zaid. The reality is the Trump team will be controlling much of the timing of the litigation." Espionage Act cases like Trump's cases are especially complex because some of the key evidence presented during a public trial is classified. These CIPA procedures will require Trump's defense team to obtain security clearances in order to view classified materials.

Persons: Perkins, Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Stephanie Siegmann, Hinkley Allen, Trump, Smith's, Mark Zaid, CIPA, Kel McClanahan, David Aaron, Sarah N, Lynch, Amy Stevens, Alistair Bell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Attorney's, Republican, Trump, Department, Thomson Locations: Miami, Boston, The U.S

☆ Officials Who Cast Doubt on Hunter Biden Laptop Face Questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As Justice Department officials weigh the matter, the investigator overseeing the Internal Revenue Service’s portion of the case has also come forward with allegations of political favoritism in the inquiry. On Monday, a lawyer for that investigator sent a short letter to Congress that said the investigator and the rest of his team were being removed from the inquiry, which is reaching its end as officials weigh whether to pursue charges. The former intelligence officials stress that their letter stated that they had no evidence of a Russian disinformation campaign, and that they were merely stating an opinion. “The Congress is wasting its time and our money by investigating the First Amendment rights of private citizens,” Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represents seven signers of the letter, said in an interview. Democrats also argue that the letter must be understood in its proper context.

The court appearance on Wednesday by Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard accused of posting top secret military intelligence records online, has revived questions about whether leaks damage U.S. security in cases less clear-cut than the Hughes Glomar Explorer. "There is a potential ... for great damage because many of the most valuable intelligence methods are quite fragile," said Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists. FOUR KINDS OF DAMAGEMark Zaid, a Washington-based national security attorney, described four types of potential harm. The release of U.S. diplomatic and military documents on Wikileaks starting in 2010 contributed to two U.S. ambassadors losing their assignments. It is virtually impossible for outsiders to make a complete appraisal of the damage from leaks because internal assessments are themselves classified to avoid further disclosures.

Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret" but has not independently verified their authenticity. This could help investigators focus their effort, though many people could have had access to these documents. Some images also depict printouts of documents with time stamps at the top right corners showing when they were printed. One of the leaked documents rests on a table and in the right corner of the picture is what appears to be a bottle of Gorilla super glue. U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday that they have not ruled out the possibility that the documents may have been doctored.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - China's flight of a suspected surveillance balloon over the United States appears to mark a more aggressive - albeit puzzling - espionage tactic than relying on satellites and the theft of industrial and defense secrets, security experts said. Both the United States and China have for decades used surveillance satellites to keep an eye on each other from the air. The uproar over the balloon comes as China has been building up its military capabilities and challenging America's military presence in the Pacific. The United States also believes Beijing routinely seeks to capture proprietary information and knowledge from U.S. companies. It has previously rebuffed accusations of espionage and said the United States holds a Cold War mentality and hypes up the 'China threat.'

The report said investigators interviewed 97 court employees but was silent on whether the nine justices who sat on the court at the time of the leak were interviewed, prompting calls from Democratic lawmakers and others for clarity. "During the course of the investigation, I spoke with each of the justices, several on multiple occasions," Curley said in the statement, released by the court. "I followed up on all credible leads, none of which implicated the justices or their spouses," Curley added. Curley said on that basis she decided it was not necessary to ask the justices to sign sworn affidavits affirming they did not leak the draft, something court employees were required to do. Gabe Roth, executive director of the court reform group Fix the Court, said the fact that the report initially omitted the fact that the justices were interviewed "smells fishy."

☆ The estate of the Capitol police officer who died after the Jan. 6 riot is suing Trump, alleging wrongful death
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was injured on the day of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Damages are being sought by the estate and longtime partner of Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured in the line of duty at the Capitol building. "In his factual proffer, Defendant Tanios admitted to accompanying Defendant Khater to the January 6th rally in D.C. and admitted to purchasing and carrying the bear spray Defendant Khater used on Officer Sicknick," the suit states. The lawsuit also names Trump as a defendant, arguing that violence on January 6 was incited through the former president's rhetoric. "Therefore, when accountability is achieved by Officer Sicknick's estate the recovery will be donated to charity."

☆ The National Archives wants to release hundreds of pages of emails about Hunter Biden and Burisma — and the White House won't say whether it will let it happen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

National Archives is set to release White House emails about Burisma, the Ukrainian company that reportedly paid Hunter Biden $1.5 million. The White House now has 60 days to decide whether to stop the release of the emails by invoking executive privilege. The Biden White House repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether it intended to fight release. The Burisma emails are, of course, only one of the many ongoing Hunter Biden controversies. House Republicans have promised to launch their own far-reaching inquiry into Hunter Biden's finances and tumultuous personal life, and some of Hunter Biden's allies are discussing ways to counter-attack.

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