Accra: British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, exchanged messages with someone impersonating US President Donald Trump's chief of staff, it has emerged. Burnham was in contact with an unknown individual, pretending to be top White House aide Susie Wiles, before he became suspicious of the activity, it is understood.
According to Ghana News Agency, a few messages of no significance were sent, and the incident was quickly reported to the appropriate authorities. A UK government spokesperson stated, 'We do not comment on national security matters.' Concerned about the situation, the British embassy in Washington raised the matter with the White House, as confirmed by two officials to Politico, which initially reported the exchange.
A White House official later clarified to the outlet: 'This incident has nothing to do with the chief of staff's devices being hacked.' Meanwhile, President Trump seemed unaware of the incident, suggesting to reporters at the White House that Burnham experienced a miscommunication.
Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI had initiated an investigation into attempts to access Wiles' phone, following incidents where an unknown person contacted prominent Republicans and business leaders under her guise. It remains unclear when the messages between Burnham and the impersonator were exchanged and what topics were discussed.
Burnham's office did not disclose whether any preventative measures would be implemented to avoid similar breaches, as journalists pressed for answers regarding the incident on Monday. Politico later discovered that the personal mobile phone numbers of three Cabinet ministers were published online, listed alongside their names. A government spokesperson assured: 'The government has robust procedures in place to ensure the security of sensitive information.'