[mountainlion]

There are more clearances lost than kept. Security clearances do not necessarily follow you when you are transferred. Clearances in Government are expensive so few are granted. Rank has its privilege.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I had a secret at E-1, Top Secret with all the goodies on the side at E-3.

[Myrddin]

Access to classified information assumes you have 1) signed a lifetime Non-disclosure Agreement 2) Have been cleared to the level of the information, 3) Have a "need to know".

You can have a clearance and not have a "need to know" or affiliation with a program. Often, that results in a "debrief" and removal of the clearance. On SAP programs, you may be "read in" and later "debriefed" off the SAP. Access only when your services are required.

I've been on classified programs since 1991 and have needed a clearance for them. That said, the program requires the project staff to be cleared, but you may never handle actual classified data over the duration of the effort.

Returning to the subject of the thread, the "officials" that are no longer actively in office should have been debriefed on the way out of the job. They have no business continuing to have access and influence based on prior job assignments. Trump is correct in pulling the clearances. They should be debriefed and forbidden access to classified data until such time as they are re-hired and have a "need to know" again.

[COBOL2Java]

Clearances in Government are expensive so few are granted.

Mine costs $20,000 every 5 years.