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WHAT DOES LOSING A SECURITY CLEARANCE MEAN FOR FORMER SPYMASTER?

Ex-government officials are conventionally able to retain their security clearances after they've departed their jobs in order to be able to provide consultation to their prior agencies.

Sometimes, agencies call in ex-federal officials for advice on matters of national security or other topics. 

'The purpose is not to benefit the individual. It's to benefit the government,' former Acting CIA Director Mike Morrell told CBS in July. 'So, for example, I go into CIA regularly and I help them think through issues, I talk to people, I'm there to assist in any variety of ways.'

In the case of fired former officials, like former FBI Director James Comey, their clearance is stripped immediately.

But ex-CIA directors and agents and other top-level officials are able to keep them in perpetuity. 

Issuing departments review individuals who have been granted clearance every five years to make sure they still meet the requirements to hold the security document.

Private citizens can also apply for and obtain security clearance in order to win government contracts or represent government clients.

Even the nation's former spy chiefs do not have access to the government's most sensitive information when they leave the CIA, however.

They do not receive briefings on ongoing investigations, either, and can be denied access to those materials, said Morrell.

Some do go to work for outside contractors which require clearances, and there are many examples of those who do - but none of the list of names given by the White House are in that category. 

Being stripped of clearance would keep affected individuals from continuing to be of service - if they were wanted.

Morell told CBS, 'I also serve on a government commission that I could not serve on without having my clearances.'

The reality is that Brennan and - if they are stripped of them - the other critics are not using their clearance at all. Trump is hardly going to have them in to help his agencies and none are doing work which involves access to secrets.

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