Former Senate staffer indicted; Feds seize 'N.Y. Times' reporter's phone, email records in leak prob

[laserhaas]

Source: USA Today

Link to tweet

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New York Times reporter Ali Watkins had her emails and phone records seized by the Justice Department, the newspaper said Thursday night.

And a veteran Senate Intelligence Committee staffer Watkins had a personal relationship with was indicted on charges of giving false statements during a federal leak investigation.

A federal prosecutor notified Watkins on Feb. 13 that the DOJ obtained information on her Google email accounts and Verizon phone, the Times reported. The seized records spanned years before and after Watkins joined the Times in 2017 to cover federal law enforcement.

According to Justice Department rules for getting information from, or records of, members of the news media, "the approach in every instance must be to strike the proper balance among several vital interests: Protecting national security, ensuring public safety, promoting effective law enforcement and the fair administration of justice, and safeguarding the essential role of the free press in fostering government accountability and an open society."

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/683548002

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Jim Wolfe is in a relationship with Ali Watkins; and Mr. Wolfe worked for the Senate for 30 years.

[laserhaas]

1. Manu Raju - Congressional Correspondent - reached out to Wolfe

And Jim denied being part of this debacle.

Link to tweet

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[saidsimplesimon]

2. Any political party affiliation?

Would DOJ Sessions actually allow a Republican to be charged?

[laserhaas]

3. My thoughts - also

More to come - for sure

[pnwmom]

4. The only thing I read was that it was a nonpartisan position and that he worked

with both Republicans and Democrats.