PAIN IN THE NECK

Republican Rep Humiliated by Leak to His Least Favorite Reporter

The humiliating leak comes less than a week after Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner melted down about leaks to the same reporter.

A Republican lawmaker who blasted his colleagues for leaking to a top congressional reporter was left red-faced when his latest tirade was leaked to that very same reporter.

Washington Rep. Michael Baumgartner unloaded on his colleagues last Thursday, threatening that anyone who speaks to Punchbowl News co-founder Jake Sherman should not expect his backing for leadership positions.

“The slimiest member of the DC press corps who conspires with low integrity attention seekers to leak strategies being discussed in House Republican meetings is Jake Sherman,” he wrote. “To be clear—If you want my vote for leadership you will commit to no on or off record interviews with Jake Sherman for as long as he leaks our confidential team meetings.”

He added, “Do not call me and ask for my vote unless you are willing to make that commitment.”

But on Tuesday, Baumgartner’s latest lecture about leaks during a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting was itself leaked to none other than Jake Sherman.

“In the House Republican Conference meeting this morning, Washington State @RepBaumgartner exhorted his colleagues in the room not to leak what’s going on in the meeting to reporters,” Sherman wrote on X. “He recommended they hold House Republican Conference meetings in a SCIF.”

A SCIF—short for “sensitive compartmented information facility”—is a Defense Department term for an ultra-secure room specially constructed for government officials to view sensitive information. No personal electronics are allowed inside SCIFs.

Given that Baumgartner’s own colleagues appear to be leaking his remarks to Sherman, however, it’s unclear whether moving the meetings to a SCIF would solve the problem.

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Sherman’s post was quickly flooded with comments relishing the irony.

“Love that you tagged him,” Washington Sun congressional reporter Igor Bobic wrote.

Another X user chimed in, “Got to love a leak about not leaking.”

Sherman had previously reacted to another post in which Baumgartner whined about “un-patriotic attention seekers currying favor with slimy journalists,” by typing simply “lol.”

Sherman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Baumgartner’s demand that his GOP colleagues stop speaking to Sherman struck critics as especially bizarre given his apparent suggestion that the leaks were partly to blame for the party’s historic midterm losses.

One person wrote, “I see that after deep analysis and self-reflection, you’ve identified the reason why your party was wiped off the map. It wasn’t the corruption or ceding all your power to Trump. The real problem is Jake Sherman.”

Baumgartner barely clung to his seat in his usually safely Republican district, prevailing by about 3.8 points. He won by 21 points in 2024.

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Erkki ForsterNight News Reporter

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