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Feb 19, 2019 | Press Release

Cummings Releases Interim Sta Report and Corroborating Documents, Launches Investigation of White
House, Agencies, and Others

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 19, 2019)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the
Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued an interim sta report after multiple
whistleblowers came forward to warn about e orts inside the White House to rush the
transfer of highly sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of
the Atomic Energy Act and without review by Congress as required by law—e orts that may
be ongoing to this day.  The report states:

“The whistleblowers who came forward have expressed signi cant concerns about
the potential procedural and legal violations connected with rushing through a
plan to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.  They have warned of
con icts of interest among top White House advisers that could implicate federal
criminal statutes.  They have also warned about a working environment inside the
White House marked by chaos, dysfunction, and backbiting.  And they have
warned about political appointees ignoring directives from top ethics advisors at
the White House who repeatedly and unsuccessfully ordered senior Trump
Administration o cials to halt their e orts.”

The report warns that that White House e orts to transfer sensitive U.S. nuclear technology
to Saudi Arabia may be accelerating after meetings last week at the White House and ahead
of a planned visit to Saudi Arabia by the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner:

“The Committee’s investigation is particularly critical because the

Administration’s e orts to transfer sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi
Arabia appear to be ongoing.  On February 12, 2019, the President met with
nuclear power developers at the White House about sharing nuclear technology
with countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.  In addition, next week
Mr. Kushner will be embarking on a tour of Middle Eastern capitals—including
Riyadh—to discuss the economic portion of the Administration’s Middle East
peace plan.”

The report highlights concerning events involving Saudi Arabia, including the brutal murder of
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which was met with equivocation by President
Trump and other top Administration o cials, and the refusal by the White House to submit a
report on Mr. Khashoggi’s killing that was requested on a bipartisan basis by the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations.

The report indicates that there is now serious, bipartisan concern with the Trump
Administration’s e orts to transfer sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.  For
example, on October 31, 2018, Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Todd Young, Cory Gardner,
Rand Paul, and Dean Heller sent a letter to President Trump urging him to “suspend talks
related to a potential civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and
Saudi Arabia” due to “serious concerns about the transparency, accountability, and judgment
of current decisionmakers in Saudi Arabia.”

The report describes new documents and communications between White House o cials,
including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, former Deputy National Security
Advisor K.T. McFarland, and former NSC Senior Director for Middle East and North African
A airs Derek Harvey, as well as with Thomas Barrack, President Trump’s personal friend of
several decades and the Chairman of his Inaugural Committee, and Rick Gates, President
Trump’s former Deputy Campaign Manager and Deputy Chairman of the Inaugural
Committee who has now pleaded guilty to nancial fraud and lying to investigators.

Today, Cummings also sent letters to multiple entities involved with promoting this plan,
including the White House; the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, State, and
Treasury; the Joint Chiefs of Sta ; the Central Intelligence Agency; Flynn Intel Group; IP3; ACU
Strategies; Colony NorthStar; and Mr. Barrack.

Click here to read the interim sta report.

Click here to read the documents released with the report.

Click here to read the letter to the White House.

###

Issues: Administration, Security Clearances, Whistleblower

116th Congress

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