A top White House energy adviser said he resigned after being told he wouldn't receive a permanent security clearance, amid intensifying scrutiny of administration officials only temporarily authorized to review classified information.
George David Banks served on the National Economic Council as a special assistant to the president for international energy and environmental policy since February 2017. The role put him on the front lines of debates about the Paris climate accord and the construction of coal plants around the globe.
Banks said he resigned after being told he wouldn't be granted a security clearance because of marijuana use five years ago.