Three White House Leakers of Classified Info Identified; Trump to Fire ‘Multiple People’
Trey Yingst, the White House Correspondent for One America News Network, reported via Twitter Monday afternoon that President Donald Trump will fire ‘multiple people’ after three White House staffers were identified as leaking classified information.
SCOOP: Three White House staffers have been identified for leaking classified info. POTUS will fire ‘multiple people’ when he returns to DC.
SCOOP INFO: I’m told the names of the leakers are being run by the Office of Government Ethics, which is why they aren’t immediately fired
Names are given to the Office of Government ethics, who will investigate further
SCOOP INFO: I asked one source why the leakers names would be presented to the Office of Government Ethics. “This is criminal,” they said.
—> Office of Government Ethics is not able to prosecute anyone. They will advise the White House on how to proceed with leakers, I’m told.”
SCOOP: Three White House staffers have been identified for leaking classified info. POTUS will fire 'multiple people' when he returns to DC.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
SCOOP INFO: I'm told the names of the leakers are being run by the Office of Government Ethics, which is why they aren't immediately fired
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
Names are given to the Office of Government ethics, who will investigate further
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
SCOOP INFO: I asked one source why the leakers names would be presented to the Office of Government Ethics.
"This is criminal,'' they said.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
—> Office of Government Ethics is not able to prosecute anyone. They will advise the White House on how to proceed with leakers, I'm told.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
Trump’s White House has been beset by unprecedented leaking of classified information, including details of Trump’s phone calls and Oval Office meetings with foreign leaders.
Trump is scheduled to return from a nine day trip to the Middle East and Europe on Saturday.
Top Trump advisers Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategistSteve Bannon came back from the Middle East early on Sunday. The U.K. Daily Mail reported the White House said Priebus left the trip early for the roll out of Trump’s budget plan this week, however the Mail reported that no reason was given for Bannon’s early departure.
UPDATE: Yingst has taken down a few tweets on the involvement of the Office of Government Ethics for further clarification, “Deleted a few tweets on the Office of Government Ethics. Will repost clearer info in a single tweet.”
Deleted a few tweets on the Office of Government Ethics. Will repost clearer info in a single tweet.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
Yingst posted the clarification, “OGE advises the White House on questions of ethics. Please accept my correction on an earlier tweet saying they ‘investigate.’ Thank you.”
OGE advises the White House on questions of ethics. Please accept my correction on an earlier tweet saying they 'investigate.' Thank you.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
The initial report by Yingst indicates that the White House staffers are not political appointees as they could be fired at will by Trump, but that they are career federal government employees or former Obama political appointees who were “burrowed” into the Civil Service by being converted to career employees before President Barack Obama’s term ended on January 20 and would in most cases have to go through a civil service procedure for termination.
