Sean Spicer is reportedly spot-checking his staff's phones for evidence of leaks
As the rest of President Trump's White House seems to be settling into a rhythm, the communications office is overworked, under constant scrutiny from the cable-news-fanatic-in-chief, and now being hounded by Press Secretary Sean Spicer and White House lawyers trying to stop the flood of leaks that Spicer now believes is coming from his staff, White House sources tell Politico. Things came to a head last week when Spicer called an "emergency meeting," and after staffers arrived, they were told to deposit all their phones on a table to prove they had nothing to hide, Politico reports:
One leak Spicer was reportedly particularly incensed about was the hiring of Michael Dubke as White House communications director, an addition designed in part to release the workload on Spicer and his staff, who often work 18-hour days. And now the staffers are worried about firings. "In general," said one senior administration official, "there is a lot of insecurity." Spicer declined to comment about the leaks. You can read more at Politico.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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