NY Times reporter’s emails seized by Justice Dept. in Senate Intel Committee leak case

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The New York Times revealed on June 7 that the Justice Department had seized records for two email accounts and a mobile account belonging to Times reporter Ali Watkins in connection with an investigation into alleged leaks of information regarding the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's (SSCI) probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The data, from Watkins' Verizon and Google accounts, spanned years. Watkins was informed of the seizure in a letter from the Justice Department.

The records were seized as evidence in the case of James Wolfe, former director of security for the SSCI, who is alleged to have leaked classified information provided by the government to the committee to Watkins and other reporters. Wolfe's indictment alleges that Watkins and Wolfe had a romantic relationship dating back to 2013, when Watkins was a college student and intern with a news organization in Washington. Watkins worked at Buzzfeed and Politico before joining The New York Times in December.

Wolfe is alleged to have leaked information to Watkins that, among other things, exposed Trump campaign staffer Carter Page as the individual (identified as "Male-1" in court documents) Russian agents attempted to recruit in 2013. The FBI seized Watkins' emails and phone records dating back to 2014 as part of the investigation of Wolfe.

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