Andy Burnham sent “a few messages” to Trump’s fake chief of staff – media
British PM Andy Burnham exchanged a string of messages with a man who was pretending to be White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Politico reported.
Burnham communicated with the impersonator while he was still on course to become prime minister and exchanged a «few messages» after taking office on July 20, according to Politico. One person briefed on the communications told the outlet that the exchanges were «of no significance.»
It remains unclear what was discussed or exactly when the messages were sent. Downing Street declined to address the details, telling Politico: «We do not comment on national security matters.»
The incident was serious enough for the British embassy in Washington to raise it with the White House, two officials told Politico. UK officials initially feared that Wiles’ phone may have been compromised.
Previous Wiles impersonation raised alarm in Washington
The concern was not without precedent. Last year, the White House and FBI investigated texts and phone calls sent to US senators, governors and business executives by someone pretending to be Wiles.
At the time, The Wall Street Journal reported that Wiles told associates someone had hacked her cellphone contacts.
The White House declined to comment on the latest incident, according to Politico. The identity of the person who contacted Burnham, and whether the episode was connected to the earlier US impersonation campaign, remain unclear.
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