today brought some developments in the war on leakers:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ex-senate-staffer-faces-charges-in-leak-investigation/2018/06/07/2155c956-6abf-11e8-bbc5-dc9f3634fa0a_story.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/us/politics/times-reporter-phone-records-seized.htmlhttps://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/press-release/file/1069836/downloadFormer senate staffer James A. Wolfe of the Senate Intelligence Committee was indicted on three counts of making false statements to FBI agents. The government alleges that Wolfe lied to FBI agents in December 2017 about “repeated contacts” with three reporters, including through the use of encrypted messaging applications. He is further alleged to have lied about providing two reporters with “non-public information related to matters occurring before the [committee],” the statement read.
He was having "a romantic relationship" with New York Times reporter (then-Buzzfeed) Ali Watkins. In a first for the Trump administration, prosecutors targeted the journalist Watkins and seized materials including phone records and email metadata from her as part of the case (not the emails themselves). This is one step to send a chill into the freedom of the press, on par with what Obama and Bush did to target leakers, but not quite up to the dangerous precedents of prosecuting / imprisoning / threatening the journalists with imprisonment like they did, so small consolation there, and rather than warrantless spying they did the proper warrant and informing the journalist before seizing records.
For a few excerpts;
Quote
On or about October 16,2017, WOLFE informed REPORTER #3, using Signal, that he had served MALE-I with a subpoena to appear before the SSCI. 25. On or about October 17 , 2017, REPORTER #3 asked WOLFE, using Signal, to provide REPORTER #3 with MALE-I's contact information, and WOLFE agreed to do so. Later that day, a news organization published a story, under REPORTER #3's byline, reporting that 7 MALE- t had been subpoenaed to testifu by the SSCI, and that MALE-I had been contacted by the news organization for comment. After the story was published, WOLFE congratulated REPORTER #3, using Signal, stating "Goodjob!" and "I'm glad you got the scoop." REPORTER #3 wrote back, using Signal,"Thank you. [MALE-l] isn't pleased, but wouldn't deny that the subpoena was served." 26. On or about October 18, 2011, MALE-1 sent an email to the SSCI, complaining that the news organization had published REPORTER #3's news articie of the previous day, reporting that he had been subpoenaed. 27. On or about October 24,2017, at 7:00 a.m., WOLFE informed REPORTER #3, using Signal, that MALE-1 would testify in closed hearing before the SSCI "this week." At 9:58 a.m., REPORTER #3 sent aa email to MALE-I, asking him to confirm that he would be 'paying a visit to Senate lntelligence staffers this week." At 9:23 p.m., MALE-I sent aa email to the SSCI, forwardirg the email he had received from REPORTER #3, and complaining that the details of his appoarance had been leaked to the press.
Do we know who MALE-1 is? This story just broke so I'm in full speculative mode about some of the redacted identities, but presumably MALE-1 is Carter Page;
https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/28/politics/fusion-house-intelligence-agreement-subpoena/index.htmlhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-congress/u-s-house-committee-wants-documents-from-former-trump-aide-page-idUSKBN1D22WCAlso that week were Google/Facebook/Twitter representatives but they weren't subpoenaed were they? So I assume Carter Page