White House officials asked to turn over phones as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe: CNN
Officials asked some staff to hand over phones as investigators sought the source of leaks about a $400 million Qatari-gifted jet.
- The White House has launched an aggressive, West Wing leak investigation led by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel, with some staff being asked to hand over their personal and government cell phones.
- The hunt for the leaker was triggered by President Trump’s frustration over media reports detailing security vulnerabilities regarding a Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 intended to serve as a new Air Force One.
- A "war room" was established next to Wiles' office to run the operation, which focused heavily on staffers who had traveled with Trump or had a role in planning his recent overseas trips.
- Not all officials asked to surrender their phones complied with the request, prompting at least one federal agency to email its staff, advising them to contact their agency's attorneys immediately if outside investigators requested their devices.
- The leak probe has triggered heavy criticism from press freedom advocates, particularly after the Justice Department issued subpoenas to four New York Times journalists who originally reported on the plane's security concerns.
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33 Articles
Leaker reveals extreme tactic White House staff had to use to avoid Trump wiretaps
A leaker from President Donald Trump’s first administration has revealed that Trump’s obsession with wiretapping his staff’s devices made them so paranoid that they began taking extreme measures to protect themselves when holding secret meetings on “what to do.” This revelation follows reports released Wednesday that current Trump officials have been asked to surrender their phones for an investigation into recent White House leaks.The latest di…
White House, FBI investigate leaks involving new Air Force One
Photo: Alamy White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel oversaw an investigation into leaks concerning security assessments of the Qatari-donated Air Force One aircraft, according to a report published Wednesday. CNN, citing people familiar with the investigation, reported that some government officials were asked to surrender their cellphones as investigators
By Kristen Holmes, Holmes Lybrand and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump's closest adviser, and FBI Director Kash Patel personally helped orchestrate a sweeping White House investigation last week aimed at determining who in the government leaked information. The post Exclusive: White House asks officials to turn over their phones as Wiles and Patel investigate leak appeared first on KVIA.
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