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.

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.

https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1004910057518260225

https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1004914105008971778

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

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

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

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

https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/1004917394312220673

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

https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1004915879145033728

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.