Federal investigators have launched a probe into someone allegedly impersonating White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The impersonator allegedly reached out to prominent Republicans on Wiles’ personal contact list, including to senators, governors, and top U.S. business executives, through text messages and phone calls, sources told the outlet.
The FBI is leading the probe and does not believe a foreign nation is behind the impersonation.
āThe FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness,ā FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. āSafeguarding our administration officialsā ability to securely communicate to accomplish the presidentās mission is a top priority.ā
The text messages were initially believed to be legitimate, but sources told the Wall Street Journal that they got suspicious when they were asked questions that Wiles should have known the answer to. The impersonator also used broken grammar, and the tone was too formal for Wiles.
The impersonator has even sent messages recently, including while Wiles was in the Middle East.
The White House official, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has been notified of the impersonation and told her contacts about the issue.Ā
No suspect has been identified in the case so far.
āThe White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated,ā a White House spokeswoman said.Ā
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You canĀ follow her on XĀ for more coverage.
