FBI probes efforts to impersonate one of Trump’s most powerful advisers

By Kaitlan Collins and Alayna Treene, CNN

(CNN) — A law enforcement investigation is underway into efforts to impersonate President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the investigation into efforts to impersonate Wiles, writing that “senators, governors, top U.S. business executives and other well-known figures have received text messages and phone calls from a person who claimed to be the chief of staff.”

Wiles is one of Trump’s closest advisers and is often in touch with lawmakers who need to reach the president. She has a long list of influential Republican contacts.

A senior White House official said that Wiles told others in the Trump administration that she believed her personal phone and contact list had been hacked, as the impersonator only contacted high-profile people on that list. Many of the people who received messages were skeptical that it was Wiles, according to the official.

That led some of the business executives, senators and governors who received a message from the person claiming to be Wiles to contact the White House and attempt to verify it was actually the chief of staff, the official said. That is how the White House first learned of the impersonator.

The official would not share specific names of those who were contacted by the impersonator, but confirmed major executives and CEOs, members of Congress and governors were among those who received messages.

The investigation comes after the FBI warned earlier this month that hackers have been using AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior US government officials to break into online accounts.

The FBI cautioned at the time that such impersonations and subsequent access to government or personal accounts could lead to other government officials or their associates and contacts being targeted.

“The White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated,” a White House official told CNN.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement: “The FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness. Safeguarding our administration officials’ ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president’s mission is a top priority.”

Wiles declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Trump told reporters on Friday evening that he was aware of reports about the impersonation attempts but said Wiles could handle it.

“She’s an amazing woman. She can handle it, but I’ve heard that they breached her phones or they tried to impersonate her. Nobody can impersonate Susie,” Trump said. “There’s only one Susie.”

Wiles, the first woman to hold the title of chief of staff, is a seasoned political operative from Florida who has been one of Trump’s longest-serving advisers, including serving as his 2024 campaign manager.

Prior to accepting the important office in the West Wing, Wiles expressed some reservations about the role and had certain demands, CNN reported at the time of her selection. At the top of her list of conditions was more control over who can reach the president in the Oval Office.

As campaign manager, Wiles was widely credited with running what was seen as Trump’s most sophisticated and disciplined campaign, which included keeping many of the fringe voices in his orbit at bay.

Previously, Wiles helped Trump win the Sunshine State in 2016 and 2020. She also served as Trump’s de facto chief of staff during his time out of the White House following his 2020 loss.

Wiles also once served as a top adviser to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but she was ousted from his inner circle in 2019 amid rising tensions between the two.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Kaanita Iyer and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.

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