Washington – The White House acknowledged Tuesday that top officials, including President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser, responded to a British-based email prankster.
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Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House is investigating. “We take all cyber-related issues very seriously and are looking into these incidents further,” she said in response to inquiries.
CNN identified Tom Bossert, the president’s homeland security adviser, as one of the officials who fell for the ruse. Bossert apparently believed he was corresponding with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, and included a personal email address in his reply.
The network also said Anthony Scaramucci, who was ousted Monday after a brief tenure as communications director, also responded to the prankster, who pretended to be Reince Priebus. The two have a contentious relationship and Priebus was dismissed as chief of staff last Friday, days before Scaramucci was forced out.
Other identified by CNN are Jon Huntsman, Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Russia; and Eric Trump, one of the president’s two adult sons. The younger Trump said he immediately recognized the email as a “sham” and contacted authorities.
CNN said the prankster, who uses the handle SINON_REBORN on Twitter, shared the emails with the network.
“I immediately recognized it was a sham and turned it over to law enforcement right away,” Eric Trump said in an email. “It is unfortunate that people play these games and waste others’ time. They should not be rewarded.” Eric Trump later added that he alerted the U.S. Secret Service about the suspect correspondence.
The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huntsman declined to comment, citing his pending nomination.
How is it that in this day and age that the homeland security adviser of the world’s superpower can fall for such a ruse? What kind of people has Trump been hiring?
Also, how is it that after all the commotion that the Republicans made about Hillary using personal e-mail, that this same homeland security adviser gives Jared Kushner his personal email? Even without Hillary-gate, what legitimate professional reason is there to share that information? His business needs to be on the government email system, and his private life off it.
This homeland security adviser is my candidate for the next contestant to be thrown off “Trump Island”. General Kelly seems straight and normal, so my guess is that he’ll take of this quickly.
It is the amateur hour unfortunately these jerks have access to nuclear weapons
Ah…just more Fake News…maybe it was a British guy…maybe it was the Chinese…or some fat guy in his basement in New Jersey…but certainly not the Russians…no one knows…ain’t that right, Mein Fuhrer?