Officials asked to turn over phones at the White House as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe

Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s closest aide, and FBI Director Kash Patel personally helped organize a wide-ranging investigation at the White House last week aimed at determining who in the government leaked information about the security shortcomings of a Qatar-gifted plane intended to be used as Air Force One. Some officials were asked to hand over their phones to investigators on the White House grounds, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Sources said Trump was outraged by the revelations about the new plane and his administration quickly intervened in an intense leak investigation that was roiling the government. As the investigation progressed, at least one federal agency emailed its employees warning them that if they were contacted by outside agencies requesting information or devices, they should immediately contact their agency’s attorneys, a source told CNN.

Sources said Patel, who was preparing to travel to Chicago, was directed to the White House on Friday to take a hands-on role in conducting the investigation; This was made public the next morning when the New York Times reported: Ministry of Justice issued subpoenas to four journalists who reported safety concerns around the new aircraft.

Patel worked for about seven hours in an office next to Wiles as the two set up what one source called a “war room” in the West Wing.

In addition to requesting a cellphone, investigators also sought information from people who traveled with Trump or played a role in the trip, including officials at various agencies. One of the sources told CNN that not all officials asked to surrender their devices did so.

This effort reflects the extent to which the White House is willing to assert control over the law enforcement investigation; While this has become somewhat common in the Trump administration, it is a significant violation of the Justice Department’s historic independence. CNN previously reported that Trump also spoke to Patel by phone about the leak investigation.

CNN has reached out to the FBI for comment. A White House official said: “Leaks that endanger the safety of the President, his staff, and his traveling press pool are dangerous and a threat to national security. The White House takes these leaks seriously and will do anything legally necessary to ensure that the individual or individuals are caught and that this does not happen again.”

Journalists and free press advocates have criticized the Justice Department’s move to subpoena New York Times journalists as an affront to the First Amendment, and the Times has said it plans to fight them in court.

Concerns about the $400 million new jet gifted by Qatar came to the fore in the conversation in Washington last week when Trump abruptly announced just before leaving the NATO summit in Türkiye that he would send the new plane to Britain’s Mildenhall Air Force Base. In a post on social media, Trump said that the change in planes was only to give US soldiers serving at the base “a chance to tour the plane.” He had previously unveiled the plane, which was rebuilt and repainted to his liking.

“Everyone is so excited and we thought they should be the first,” he wrote.

Trump departed on an older plane, then returned to a secure US air base in the United Kingdom. Sources downplayed the idea that security was the reason for this change He told CNN and other outlets that this happened.

“There was no security concern other than we sent it a little early, the same line is coming back. We sent it a little early so they could see,” Trump said.

Sources told CNN that the security assessment changed after Trump went to Türkiye for the summit, and Wiles informed Trump that he should leave the country on an older ship. The Qatari plane was quickly equipped with defensive capabilities but was still not as safe as the older version built to protect presidents on overseas trips, sources said.

An official previously told CNN that the 747 gifted by Qatar was largely viewed as being “rushed” into service by the military and Secret Service. In contrast, two new jets purchased as part of a deal Trump renegotiated during his first term face significant delays and are not expected to be ready until at least 2028, the official said. This is due in part to the large number of covert communications and defensive measures that had to be incorporated, the military’s extensive design requirements, and the time required to train pilots on the unique aircraft.

The exact nature of the safety differences between old and new aircraft is not entirely clear. Aviation observers examine pictures of plane he told CNN The new aircraft appears to lack external modifications to the tail cone associated with some type of directional infrared missile defense system. However, the lack of visible features does not necessarily determine which systems are installed and which are not.

CNN’s Kit Maher contributed to this report.

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