Sean Spicer cracks down on White House leaks: report

White House press secretary Sean Spicer has introduced a regime of draconian security measures to prevent staffers leaking sensitive information to the media.
Mr Spicer last week conducted a surprise check of his aides’ personal and government-issued electronic devices to address President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with unauthorised information showing up in the news, Politico reported.
About a dozen White House communication staffers were called into Mr Spicer’s office for random “phone checks”, which were monitored by White House attorneys, Politico reported, citing multiple sources.
The gathering was described as “an emergency meeting” in which Mr Spicer reiterated his anger after a number of private conversations had been leaked from administration officials as ‘unnamed sources’.
Staffers were reportedly told to put their mobile phones on the table and let them be searched to prove they had nothing to hide.
During the same meeting, staffers were warned against using encrypted messaging apps such as Confide and Signal, or corresponding privately with reporters as a violation of the Presidential Records Act, sources in the room were quoted as saying.
Mr Spicer is said to be particularly frustrated with the regular leaks of unfavourable information, which he believes is coming from his own communications department, resulting in a number of tense meetings.
The press secretary has reportedly launched several expletive-filled tirades towards his aides, accusing them of revealing sensitive information to journalists.
Politico reported that staffers within the communications office are concerned for their futures as talks escalate to potential firings.
Mr Spicer has declined to comment about a leak crackdown.
Mounting tension over negative stories
The press secretary is under pressure from Mr Trump to sniff out the damaging leaks, as warnings about leaks continue to be promptly leaked.
The State Department legal office prepared a four-page memo for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last Monday warning of the dangers of leaking information – which was leaked hours later to The Washington Post.
Mr Spicer also reportedly brought deputy communications director Jessica Ditto to tears during one of his harsh criticisms, according to two people familiar with the incident.
However Mr Spicer later quashed the leak, saying: “The only time Jessica recalls almost getting emotional is when we had to relay the information on the death of Chief Ryan Owens [a Navy SEAL killed in action].”
It’s said Mr Spicer was also particularly incensed by last week’s leak of Michael Dubke as the new White House communications director prior to its announcement.
“In general … there is a lot of insecurity,” one senior administration official told Politico.
The crackdown follows a week of animosity between Mr Trump’s administration and the press, after he called journalists “the enemy of the people”.
Mr Trump has repeatedly vented his frustration in his search of “leakers” of “fake news”, and on Friday tweeted the FBI was “totally unable” to stop leaks within its own agency.
The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security "leakers" that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
On the same day, he banned certain media including CNN, The New York Times, BuzzFeed and Politico from attending a press briefing in his office.
Time and The Associated Press boycotted the briefing out of solidarity.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Mr Trump said he would not attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington – an event at which the President usually makes a speech.
More recently he blamed the media for playing up “fake news” in relation to Russia.
Russia talk is FAKE NEWS put out by the Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2017