The New York Times said Tuesday it is investigating a reporter whose information was seized amid a federal investigation of a Senate aide accused of leaking classified information.
The Times said the paper was
evaluating Ali Watkins’ involvement in the case of former Senate Intelligence Committee aide James A. Wolfe,
who was charged last week with making false statements to the FBI.
Watkins, 26, had her emails and phone records seized by the Justice Department as part of the investigation into the leak.
Watkins and Wolfe, 57, were in a relationship. Both claimed Wolfe was not a source for Watkins’ stories during her previous work at both BuzzFeed and Politico.
Although Watkins disclosed her relationship to the Times, her role in the case is under scrutiny after the indictment detailed the extensive communications she had with Wolfe.
The two communicated many times both before and after the publishing of a consequential story about Carter Page.
Wolfe ultimately was charged with lying to investigators about the contacts he had with reporters.
