Exclusive: Officials asked to turn over phones at the White House as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel have launched an internal investigation into the leak of security details regarding a new presidential aircraft. The probe involves requesting government officials to surrender their mobile devices, raising concerns about the independence of the Justice Department.
Why it matters
The direct involvement of White House staff in a federal law enforcement investigation highlights ongoing tensions regarding the separation of powers and executive oversight of the DOJ.
Chief of staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s closest aide, and FBI Director Kash Patel helped personally orchestrate a sprawling investigation last week at the White House aimed at determining who in the government leaked information about the security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane meant to be used as Air Force One – with some officials being asked to turn over their phones to investigators on White House grounds, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Trump had fumed over disclosures about the new plane, sources said, and his government quickly stood up an intense leak probe that roiled the government. As the investigation unfolded, at least one federal agency emailed employees warning that if they were contacted by outside agencies requesting information and devices, they needed to immediately contact their own agency’s attorneys, one source told CNN.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in