White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles warned staffers about what would happen if they were caught leaking, according to an email that itself was leaked to the press.
Wiles, in a March email obtained by Politico, made clear that unauthorized communications with the press could result in termination.
Wiles, 68, wrote that “no staff member within the Executive Office of the President is permitted to speak with members of the news media without the explicit approval of the White House Communications Office.”
Wiles added that “unauthorized leaks will not be tolerated and are subject to sanction up to and including termination.”
“Violation of this policy can result in significant disruption to ongoing operations and can potentially endanger missions and activities of national significance,” she concluded.
Wiles sent the email because West Wing staff have been using the press to fight their own battles, a person familiar with the matter told the outlet, adding that her directive may not have had a single cause.
“She was generally very frustrated with leaks,” this person said.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment, asking if anyone has been fired since Wiles issued her warning.
White House spokeperson Liz Huston told Politico in a statement, “There are hundreds of White House staffers faithfully serving the American people, all of whom are held to strict policies—including a zero-tolerance policy against speaking to the media without explicit authorization from the Communications Office—to ensure the President’s message is communicated clearly, accurately, and directly to the American people.”
Wiles generated a flurry of headlines late last year when Vanity Fair published an interview in which she criticized a host of top administration officials, including the president and his “alcoholic’s personality.” All that buzz, apparently, was acceptable.
Wiles, who was honored Thursday with the Independent Women’s Forum’s Barbara K. Olson Woman of Valor Award, was asked how she communicates with the press, if at all. Wiles said she became more cautious about the process since becoming chief of staff.
“And if I do, I get in trouble at the White House,” she said. “I have a couple of friends in the reporter ranks, but we keep it to friendship.”
