Ex-Senate aide appears in federal court after indictment
Justice Department caught ‘very important leaker,’ president says
WASHINGTON — A former employee of the Senate intelligence committee appeared before a federal court Friday on charges that he lied about his contacts with reporters, a case that President Donald Trump said could be a “terrific thing” as his administration tries to crack down on classified leaks.
James Wolfe, the longtime director of security for the committee, was charged Thursday evening with three counts of lying to investigators. The committee is one of multiple congressional panels investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
Though Wolfe is not charged with actually disclosing classified information, prosecutors say he was in regular contact with multiple journalists who covered the committee, including meeting them at restaurants, in bars, private residences and in a Senate office building.
Wolfe, 57, made a brief appearance in federal court in Baltimore on Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson released him from custody and ordered him to appear at the federal courthouse in Washington next week. He did not enter a plea.
On Friday morning, Trump said the Justice Department had caught “a very important leaker” and said it could be a “terrific thing.” He said he was still getting details on the case.
“I’m a big, big believer in freedom of the press,” Trump told reporters before departing for a trip to Canada. “But I’m also a believer in classified information. Has to remain classified.”
Wolfe’s indictment was announced after the New York Times revealed that the Justice Department had secretly seized the phone records and emails of one of its journalists, Ali Watkins, as part of the leak investigation involving Wolfe.
Each false statement count is punishable by up to five years in prison, though if convicted, Wolfe would face only a fraction of that time. The criminal case arises from a December 2017 FBI interview with Wolfe in which he denied having contacts with journalists or discussing committee business with them. Phone and text records showed otherwise.