Federal investigators are examining a covert attempt to impersonate Susie Wiles, chief of staff to President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The outlet reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the impersonator reached out to senior Republican figures and leading business executives while impersonating Wiles.
Numerous high-profile individuals — including U.S. senators, governors, and corporate leaders — have received text messages and phone calls from someone falsely presenting themselves as the president's chief of staff, per the report.
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Some recipients of the fake messages initially mistook them for legitimate communication, with the impersonator making what appeared to be official requests. In one instance, a member of Congress was asked to compile a list of individuals who might be eligible for presidential pardons.
Doubt began to surface when the impersonator posed oddly uninformed questions about Trump — queries that Susie Wiles, his close aide, would be expected to know. Suspicion escalated further when, according to several recipients, the impersonator brazenly requested a cash transfer.
According to the report, several people noted the language used was unusually stiff and grammatically flawed, unlike Wiles’s typical tone. Compounding the suspicion, the messages and calls originated from phone numbers not associated with her.
The communications have sparked concern within political and intelligence circles, with the FBI and White House working to determine who is behind the impersonation.
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Some individuals familiar with the matter said it remains uncertain how the impersonator gained access to Susie Wiles’s contact list. Officials have reportedly told the White House that there is no evidence suggesting the involvement of a foreign government.
The individual posing as Susie Wiles has reportedly remained active in recent days, even sending out messages while Wiles was traveling overseas with Trump earlier this month during a visit to the Middle East.
This incident follows a previous breach during the last presidential race, when Iranian actors allegedly hacked Wiles’s email account, according to sources familiar with the situation. That cyberattack reportedly exposed internal research on Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s running mate.
“The White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated,” a White House spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.
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