Former Senate intel staffer being charged for lying about leaking to reporters
There’s quite a bit of buzz at The New York Times Thursday night, as the Justice Department seized the phone and email records of one of its reporters.
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The Justice Department seized a Times reporter’s phone and email records, its first known use of such an aggressive tactic under President Trump https://t.co/QG54YHEgii
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 8, 2018
Saagar Enjeti adds that the seizure of records is connected to former Senate intel staffer James Wolfe, who is reportedly being charged with lying to investigators about leaking to the press.
NEW: DOJ announces former Senate intel staffer James Wolfe is being charged with lying to investigators about leaking to reporters. He is the subject of the NYT story breaking tonight about FBI seizing of reporter @AliWatkins phone/email records
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 8, 2018
DOJ press release on the indictment of former Senate Intel staffer James Wolfe says he has been charged for lying about leaking to reporters. Missing is any mention of whether the leaks themselves were illegal. Release does *not* mention classified leaks. https://t.co/4RBqs6dLzc
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 8, 2018
And now James Wolfe, former head of security for the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been arrested and charged with lying to the FBI about contacts with three reporters: https://t.co/a1FnSx6EzA
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2018
NBC News: Former member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, James Wolfe age 58, has been indicted and arrested on three counts of lying to federal agents about 3 contacts with reporters through encrypted communications. @JuliaEAinsley reports.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) June 8, 2018
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James Wolfe indicted pic.twitter.com/YkgHUm3xPR
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) June 8, 2018
The reporter in question is Ali Watkins, who was formerly with Politico and BuzzFeed and now covers national security for The New York Times. According to The Times, Watkins was romantically involved with Wolfe for a time.
Watkins rose up the journalist ranks wickedly fast w/ extraordinary sources. Now, the dots are filled in: "Watkins previously had a three-year romantic relationship with James A. Wolfe, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s former director of security" https://t.co/X7Mc7sbpc8
— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) June 8, 2018
Check out indictment of Wolfe (@AliWatkins is "REPORTER #2"). She was dating her most important source, Senate Intel staffer now indicted for flagrant, years-long lawbreaking. Were her employers, Buzzfeed & NYT, aware of how she got her stories? https://t.co/vB1wifvo70 pic.twitter.com/rxZu3aQLny
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) June 8, 2018
WOW: Federal law enforcement secretly seized years of @nytimes reporter @AliWatkins phone & email records this year after asking her about her relationship with a Senate Intelligence official who is under investigation related to classified info leaks. https://t.co/elmxuwXmX8
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) June 8, 2018
“The seizure — disclosed in a letter to the reporter, Ali Watkins — suggested that prosecutors under the Trump administration will continue the aggressive tactics employed under President Barack Obama.” https://t.co/iXu9SvXFHw
— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) June 8, 2018
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I've worked with @AliWatkins. She's among the most dogged out there. This is a gross, gross use government power and chilling decision on the part of the Trump adm https://t.co/nx07PUhbBD
— Sam Stein (@samstein) June 8, 2018
One of the most extreme attacks on press freedom under Obama was when DOJ obtained the phone records of various journalists to find their sources. The Right (and some on the left) went ballistic. Now the Trump DOJ is doing it. What will be their reaction? https://t.co/FiHtnUwOcK
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 8, 2018
Yes. Too few on the left were bothered by Obama’s prosecution of the press. I KNOW too few on the right will be bothered by Trump’s. I’m wondering if the MEDIA will be bothered enough. We collectively seem so distracted by nonsense. https://t.co/l61I7fwghH
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) June 8, 2018
I totally am concerned about the implications of the government seizing reporters' phones/email logs but earlier tonight NYT also published a story saying Watkins was contacted by FBI in Feb & didnt disclose til this wk, & had denied to her employers Wolfe, her bf, was a source.. https://t.co/fbzxcriysu
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) June 8, 2018
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This story concerns a reporter's work @BuzzFeedNews. We are deeply troubled by what looks like a case of law enforcement interfering with a reporter’s constitutional right to gather information about her own government. https://t.co/5nus2syio3
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) June 8, 2018
Here’s the @AliWatkins story referenced in the indictment. https://t.co/RrHcHNBWGT
— Jay Cooper (@jayacoop) June 8, 2018
Reading the indictment of James Wolfe is a chilling reminder of how deep the government can crawl if they’re determined to, no matter use of encrypted apps and extraordinary precautions. Journalists need to stay ahead of the curve and not get sloppy to protect sources
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 8, 2018
Um …
The implication here is that the Senate Intelligence Committee's former director of security didn’t know he needed to erase Signal messages.
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) June 8, 2018
Literally a day after criticizing Hannity for something he didn't say (destroy messages on encrypted apps on your cell phone), guess what leading members of the media are saying indicted liar James Wolfe should have done? https://t.co/pjDhXdiB8G
— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) June 8, 2018
Stay tuned.
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