Scaramucci Accuses Priebus of ‘Felony’ Leaking, Asks FBI to Investigate, Then Calls It a Show of Unity
“Like ‘Game of Thrones’ But With More Viciousness” “It’s ‘Mean Girls'”Â
BREAKING: New WH Comms boss Anthony @Scaramucci reportedly wants the FBI to investigate @Reince45 for leaks. #11MSNBC pic.twitter.com/j9WasTyMpC
— 11th Hour (@11thHour) July 27, 2017
In a stunning overnight tweet incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accused White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus of leaking his financial disclosure document, which he claimed is a felony, and asked the FBI to investigate.Â
None of it was true.
BREAKING: Scaramucci calls on FBI to investigate Reince Priebus for leaking – @RyanLizza pic.twitter.com/yTT50SAhqA
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 27, 2017
He later deleted the tweet, and claimed including the Chief of Staff’s Twitter handle was an attempt to show unity with Priebus. He called it a “public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks.”
Wrong! Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks. @Reince45 pic.twitter.com/AB0reseuX1
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 27, 2017
Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker and CNN, who had spoken with Scaramucci that evening, made clear the Communication Director’s intentions:
In case there’s any ambiguity in his tweet I can confirm that Scaramucci wants the FBI to investigate Reince for leaking.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) July 27, 2017
If it were true that Scaramucci, who technically is not even a White House employee yet, did not want the FBI to investigate Priebus, it does not explain why an FBI spokesperson issued a statement about the White House leaks almost immediately, and in a strange break of protocol and basic standards, referred to Scaramucci by his first name.
JUST IN: DOJ releases statements on leaks after @Scaramucci says he will contact FBI over his leaked financial docs. pic.twitter.com/8BA2LEoWeS
— Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) July 27, 2017
As far as Scaramucci’s claim that the “leak” of his financial disclosure document is a “felony,” not only is it not a felony, it’s publicly available information.
NYT says Scaramucci filed financial disclosure June 23rd which made it available to public four days ago. https://t.co/LDpDhKHVg2 pic.twitter.com/1xAXmEqfOt
— Elliott Schwartz (@elliosch) July 27, 2017
TIME’s Zeke Miller notes this from Scaramucci’s CNN interview Thursday AM (NCRM will file a report on that next):
Scaramucci tells CNN he talked to Sessions abt “leaks,” also to “buddies in the FBI”
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) July 27, 2017
And Matthew Miller, a former Chief DOJ Spokesperson, weighs in:
This is a violation of DOJ rules on contacts with the WH that were established to prevent political interference with investigations. https://t.co/m0r8gWBqyQ
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) July 27, 2017
A behavioral scientist also weighs in:
IOW, Scaramucci is misleading the public to manufacture a controversy & frame @Reince45 as a leaker. Or he’s really dense. https://t.co/Z0bobBhYb2
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) July 27, 2017
On MSNBC, journalist Mark Halperin said the White House drama and the battle between Scaramucci and Priebus is “like ‘Game of Thrones’ but more with more viciousness.” Mika Brzezinski responded, saying, “it’s like ‘Mean Girls.'”
Scaramucci did speak with CNN Thursday morning. Stay tuned for more on that.
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