Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone impersonating Donald Trump’s chief of staff, the Guardian understands.
The UK prime minister was in contact with an unknown individual pretending to be the senior White House aide Susie Wiles before concerns were raised about the incident. No messages of significance were sent and the suspicious activity was quickly reported to the appropriate authorities, it is understood.
The British embassy in Washington was so concerned it raised the matter with the White House, according to Politico, which first reported the exchange. A UK government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on national security matters.”
Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI had launched an investigation into efforts to access Wiles’s phone after an unknown person pretending to be her contacted prominent Republicans and business chiefs.
It is unclear when the messages were sent and what was discussed between Burnham, who succeeded Keir Starmer in Downing Street on 20 July, and the impersonator.
