White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

White House Communications Director Scaramucci Begins Purge of West Wing Staff

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

On Tuesday, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci publicly threatened to fire his entire team in attempts to stop anonymous leaking coming from the West Wing.

“If they don’t stop leaking, I’m going to put them out on Pennsylvania Avenue – it’s a very clear thing,” Scaramucci said. “I’m going to fire everybody, that’s how I’m going to do it. You’re either going to stop leaking or you’re going to get fired.”

Asked about recent press reports suggesting he had already started purging staff members, Scarmucci singled out articles saying the communications director was on the verge of firing senior assistant press secretary Michael Short specifically. An article was posted on Politico hours earlier naming Short as the first on the list for upcoming staff purges.

“The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic, you got that? So I should have the opportunity, if I have to let someone go, to let the person go in a very humane, dignified way,” Scaramucci stated.

Short resigned shortly after publication of the Politico article saying he was to be terminated, before being fired by Scaramucci.

Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary

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Daniel Lippman, Tammy Haddad, Sean Spicer. Photo courtesy of Haddad Media.

Sean Spicer has resigned as White House press secretary, following President Donald Trump’s appointment of Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as communications director.

According to a report in the New York Times, the president asked Spicer to remain on as press secretary, but Spicer told Trump he believed hiring Scaramucci was a major mistake.

Scaramucci Expected To Be Named White House Communications Director

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SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci speaks at the 2016 SkyBridge Alternatives “SALT” Conference at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Multiple news agencies are reporting Friday morning that President Donald Trump has selected his close friend and ally, Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci, to be the new White House communications director.

The director position has been vacant since May, when Mike Dubke resigned after only three months on the job. Since then, press secretary Sean Spicer has assumed most of the responsibilities of this position. NBC News and Axios both report that sources say Spicer is expected to stay on as press secretary.

Scaramucci is a former Goldman Sachs banker and was a member of Trump’s transition team. He is a major Republican donor, having held fundraisers for Scott Walker and Jeb Bush during the 2016 presidential primary, and supported Trump in the general election last year. Known as “Mooch” to his friends, he is a regular guest on Fox News and longtime friend of Sean Hannity.

Russian Government-Sponsored Sputnik Radio Begins Broadcasting in DC Area

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Russian state-funded news outlet Sputnik Radio has begun broadcasting in the Washington, DC area, in an effort to reach more Americans with its “alternative news” programs.  Starting in 2014, the channel had only been available online to listeners in the United States.

According to the station website, “Sputnik points the way to a multipolar world that respects every country’s national interests, culture, history and traditions. The agency is uniquely positioned as a provider of alternative news content.”

The radio station claims while they promote alternative viewpoints from those outside the mainstream media and are also funded by the Russian government, they are not biased in favor of the Kremlin.

“People heard a lot about us. Unfortunately, they could not really listen to us. And people who were reporting about us quite often wouldn’t even bother to listen to us and present how they see us, present what we do, accurately,” said Mindia Gavasheli, Sputnik DC bureau’s editor-in-chief.

The station began broadcasting on July 1 from studios three blocks from the White House on K Street.   Sputnik Radio has a staff of approximately 40 employees, and broadcasts in English. The Washington, DC metro area is the outlet’s only terrestrial radio station in the United States.  They broadcast at 105.5 FM.

The channel was previously owned by WAMU and followed a bluegrass country music format.

SKDKnickerbocker Hires Oren Shur as Senior Vice President and Political Director

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Photo courtesy SKDKnickerbocker.

SKDKnickerbocker has announced that former director of paid media at Hillary Clinton for America and director of independent expenditure at the Democratic Governors Association Oren Shur has joined as senior vice president and political director.

Managing director Bill Knapp praised the news, saying “we’re really excited to have Oren on board. SKDK was born from the desire to provide our clients with best in class service and revolutionize political consulting and advertising… With Oren joining the team, I’m confident that we’ll live up to the legacy we’ve created for ourselves and continue to do great work for our clients and on issues that matter.”

Shur has worked in several competitive campaigns over the past decade and a half, including Hillary for America, the Democratic Governors Association, and campaign manager for the re-election of Go. Jay Nixon (D-MO) in 2012.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Bans Interviews in Hallways, Decision Quickly Reversed

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Tuesday morning, the Senate Sergeant at Arms staff announced tough new restrictions on media interviews to the members of the Senate press gallery.

The announced ban including prohibiting on-camera interviews in hallways, outside Senate offices or committee rooms without permission from the Senate Rules Committee, the Sergeant at Arms or Senate Radio and TV Gallery, depending on the location of the interview. Also, reporters were told that a special press pen would be created in the Capitol basement, a popular location for the media to ask questions of Senators on their way to the Senate floor or lunch cafeteria.

Bloomberg TV chief Washington correspondent Kevin Cirilli confirmed these new restrictions, tweeting he was told he could not stand outside the Budget Committee office to interview lawmakers.

These new rules were quickly rescinded later in the day.

A Senate official said the Rules Committee had never ordered the Sergeant at Arms office to enforce tougher media restrictions and suggested the announcement was a miscommunication. “Everything you did before, you can still do,” said an official familiar with the discussion.

Senator Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Rules Committee, released a statement Tuesday saying they made “no changes to the existing rules governing press coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex.”

White House Communications Director Mike Dubke Resigns

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

After only three months on the job, White House communications director Mike Dubke has resigned. Dubke tendered his resignation on May 18, but the news has only become public, according to stories first published in Axios and the Washington Post.

According to reports, Dubke tendered his resignation on May 18, but offered to stay with the administration throughout President Trump’s first international trip.

As communications director, his primary focus was helping restructure the press operations of the White House, and is leaving on good terms, according to a senior administration official.

Dubke’s last day has yet to be set. It is assumed his job will remain open in the short term.

Volta Insider: White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch 2017 Honors Military Veterans and a Free and Fair Press

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Rachel Greenberg interviews Mark Testoni, President & CEO of SAP NS2 | NS2 Serves. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

In the latest episode of Volta Insider, Rachel Greenberg interviewed several prominent attendees of the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch. This year’s Garden Brunch was dedicated to honoring military veterans and their families and celebrating a free press.

Greenberg provides insight into the themes of the Garden Brunch talking to elected officials, media titans, and some of the leading champions for military veterans.

Senator Mark Warner had a message for young people saying, “I think it’s more important than ever for young people to be involved.  Because if young people tune out, all you do is turn the keys over to the political extremes on the left or the right.  And for a nation that’s about 20 trillion in debt, to leave that kind of debt to the millenials, to our kids would be a disaster.  That is why your voices need to be heard.”

Rep. Darrell Issa had creative advice for those interested in pursuing a career in politics, “My advice [to young, aspiring journalists or politicians] … is to do something else first.  Really, the breadth of talent of people that go straight into politics, straight into journalism, there’s plenty of them.  The outliers — the people that make a difference — are the people that come with something to offer.  And so  particularly in the case for politics, life experience, real understanding.  Whether it’s working in soup kitchens or working on wall street, try to make sure you bring something other than a desire to vote.

Greenberg also spoke with CNN’s Brian Stelter on the new administration’s galvanizing effect on young journalism students, “There are so many problems in media right now, there are so many attempts to tear down the press, to delegitimize the press.  But it also makes it a more interesting time to be part of the solution.  And I see a lot of students nowawayds more motivated to be a part of it.”

Other interviews include Graham Moore, Academy Award winning screenwriter and author, Art Bilger, founder of the non-profit WorkingNation, and Meghan Ogilvie, CEO of Dog Tag Inc.

Check out the latest episode of Volta Insider here:

http://voltainsider.com/2017/05/16/episode-19-white-house-correspondents-garden-brunch-2017/

Comey Memo: Trump Asked FBI Director to “Lock Up” Reporters

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Photo courtesy Rich Girard via Flickr.

Late Tuesday, the New York Times reported a bombshell that former FBI Director James Comey had authored at least one memo documenting one-on-one discussions he had with President Donald Trump. Most devastating in the reported memo is that the president asked Comey to halt FBI investigations into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

However, other dark hints at the president’s war with the press were also reported in Comey’s memo, including Trump asking the head of the FBI to “consider putting reporters in prison.”

According to the memo, Comey met privately with President Trump following a meeting in the White House with other administration officials such as Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The president began the discussion with Comey by condemning “leaks” to the media, and asked the head of the FBI to consider putting journalists in prison for publishing classified information.

No American journalist has been prosecuted for publishing government secrets. But President Trump notably said in April that “it’s OK with me” if the Justice Department brought charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

During a House Intelligence Committee hearing in March this year, Comey testified on the topic of jailing journalists.

“That’s a harder question, as to whether a reporter incurs criminal liability by disclosing classified information,” he replied to an inquiry whether there was a law protecting journalists from prosecution.

Comey authored the memo immediately after meeting with the president as a paper trail documenting his perceived improper efforts by the president to influence an ongoing investigation.

Courts routinely consider FBI agents’ notes as credible evidence regarding the contents of conversations.

The White House has so far been silent on the reports regarding the contents of former director Comey’s memo. White House press secretary Sean Spicer did not take questions from journalists travelling on Air Force One Wednesday morning. President Trump also did not speak with reporters aboard the aircraft. Trump’s twitter feed was also uncharacteristically silent Wednesday morning.