New Facts: White House faces questions on Harp clearance

Natalie Harp worked at the White House for a year without the routine security clearance. She refused to file the required background-investigation forms, and only after the White House counsel’s office raised the matter and the president intervened did she complete the paperwork and receive clearance.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else." Former ethics official Norm Eisen called the lapse "shocking." Former Bush ethics lawyer Richard Painter warned that aides who travel with the president or sit in close proximity on Air Force One can need clearance because they may overhear classified conversations.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources