Pentagon Says Ex-Secretary Leaked Information to Times

The Pentagon revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's "eligibility" to access classified information and barred him from holding "any sensitive position," claiming Friday that he disclosed sensitive information about Air Force One's capabilities to the media. Reporting last month, including from the New York Times, revealed security concerns over the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including that it lacked the advanced antimissile capabilities of its predecessor. Kendall told the AP he was "completely mystified" by the revocation. "I've always been extremely careful to not say anything classified, and as far as I know I have not," Kendall said. "No one has said anything to me about what I'm asserted to have revealed and I can't imagine what it could be."

The plane underwent a $400 million upgrade. It has been put into service domestically, and President Trump flew on it to Turkey last month. But he used an older Air Force One jet to leave the NATO summit, as the US launched airstrikes on Iran and Tehran attacked three Gulf Arab states. The Times reported that the president made the switch at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older Air Force One aircraft. Trump denied to reporters that the swap was due to security concerns, though he said he is under threat "all the time" and is Iran's "No. 1" target.

In response to the reporting, the Justice Department subpoenaed the Times reporters to try to compel them to out their sources. The department, after criticism from the judge, grudgingly withdrew the subpoenas last month. In the Times article, Kendall, who served under Joe Biden, is quoted as saying that the time for upgrades to the plane would not have been enough for "all the normal Air Force One modifications" to be made and that he was surprised that the plane was used outside the US. "I've been comfortable being on the record with reporters and on national television about the Qatari 747 because I'm confident that I haven't said anything classified," Kendall said Friday.