A veteran Senate staffer has been indicted as part of a probe related to the unauthorized disclosure of classified information that has also obtained the records of a New York Times reporter.
James A. Wolfe, the longtime head of security of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was arrested late Thursday, federal prosecutors said. Wolfe was indicted on charges of “making false statements to special agents of the FBI during the course of an investigation into the unlawful disclosure of classified information,” prosecutors said in a statement late Thursday.
“Wolfe is alleged to have lied to FBI agents in December 2017 about his repeated contacts with three reporters, including through his use of encrypted messaging applications,” prosecutors said. “Wolfe is further alleged to have made false statements to the FBI about providing two reporters with non-public information related to the matters occurring before the [Senate Select Committee on Intelligence].”
Wolfe didn’t respond to a request for comment. According to his LinkedIn profile, Wolfe is a 31-year veteran on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is a professional staffer who has served on the committee under chairmen of both parties. As part of the same probe, investigators have obtained records from reporter Ali Watkins, according to people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors typically avoid such a tactic because of concerns about respecting freedom of the press.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.[1]
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