Report: WH Tech Support Thinks Kelly’s Personal Cell Phone Was Compromised

New White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, Monday, July 31, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
New White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after being privately sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, Monday, July 31, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

White House officials believe that the personal cell phone of President Donald Trump’s chief of staff John Kelly was compromised, Politico reported late Thursday.

Politico reported, citing three unnamed U.S. government officials, that Kelly’s personal cell phone was compromised potentially as early as December 2016.

According to the report, tech support staff examined Kelly’s phone for several days this summer when he told them his phone would not update software properly and had not been working properly for months. The staff ultimately concluded that it should no longer be used and was compromised, according to Politico.

Aides in September prepared a one-page memo on the subject, according to the report, and circulated the document through the White House.

An unnamed White House official told Politico that Kelly “relied on his government-issued phone for most communications” and “hadn’t used the personal phone often” since joining Trump’s administration, but did not dispute other details.

According to Politico, the official said Kelly no longer had the phone but did not say where the device is.

Latest Livewire
38
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for j.dave j.dave says:

    “… when he told them his phone would not update software properly and had not been working properly for months.”

    And this is the guy who separates our country from chaos?

    Yikes.

  2. Probably got the malware from Trump, Flynn, Fredo (Don Jr.) or any of the other compromati.

  3. We need to take that “Adults in the room” meme and send it out on the road for more seasoning.

  4. Hahaha. “Breaking” on Ari Melber’s show, Mueller’a team has already gone to London and talked to Steele. What a surprise.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

32 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for dwward Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for leftflank Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for inversion Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for tomanjeri Avatar for dannyeastvillage Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for darrtown Avatar for pshah Avatar for thermos_hildebrand Avatar for gajake Avatar for misterneutron Avatar for chiefkurtz Avatar for bodie1 Avatar for bashful Avatar for pauldownard Avatar for texastoast Avatar for brissy

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: