DOJ confirms Trump ally Kurt Olsen has no active department security clearance
Source published: Oct 7, 2026 · 9:00 AM EDT · Event: 2026-10-07
Reuters reports that Kurt Olsen, a Trump ally and Justice Department lawyer, had his department security clearance terminated in September after failing a polygraph, citing two people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department separately confirmed that Olsen currently has no active clearance with the department. Olsen had recently stepped aside from the Miami-based criminal investigation examining whether federal officials violated Trump's rights in prior Russia and classified-documents investigations.
Response / context
Olsen told Reuters that he maintains an active clearance from an unnamed agency, called any suggestion of a revoked clearance false and said his clearance was irrelevant to his decision to leave the inquiry. DOJ's confirmation is limited to its own department. Reuters could not independently establish whether Olsen holds another clearance, what questions he was asked, why he failed or whether other factors contributed. Polygraph results are not fully reliable, generally are inadmissible in federal and most state courts, and do not prove a criminal offense. The White House did not respond. The Florida investigation has produced no charges; John Brennan, whom prosecutors have identified as a target, denies wrongdoing.
Dates and scope
Source publication: Oct 7, 2026 · 9:00 AM EDT
Event or conduct: 2026-10-07. Reuters first reported the polygraph link October 7; the Justice Department directly confirmed Olsen has no current active department clearance.
Dated report. Publication, event and review times are different; the review time is when the sources were last checked, not a live update.
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Read the original sources
- Reuters: Failed polygraph played role in the loss of Trump ally Kurt Olsen's security clearance, sources say ↗
Source-based report, DOJ confirmation, denial and caveats - October 7
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