Mysterious intruder rattles GOP lawmakers

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/lawmakers-want-answers-after-intruder-breaches-gops-inner-sanctum/2017/01/31/3a94331e-e729-11e6-b82f-687d6e6a3e7c_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_breach-4pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.0e2fd4398aa9

For hours, the intruder strolled around what should have been one of the most tightly secured buildings in the country.

Inside the Loews Hotel in downtown Philadelphia at various points Thursday were President Trump, Vice President Pence, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and scores of other Republican members of Congress. Reporters were kept out, and only a few select staffers, family members and outsiders were allowed to participate in the private GOP policy retreat.

But at least one unauthorized person made it inside, and while it is unclear to what degree the country’s top leaders were in physical danger, their circle of trust was undoubtedly breached.

A person secretly recorded closed sessions on national security and health care that were attended by many dozens of GOP lawmakers. They had gathered for a private discussion of some of the thorniest legislative issues of the moment, as well as a question-and-answer session with Pence.

The recordings were anonymously emailed that night to reporters for The Washington Post and other news outlets that published stories exposing qualms inside the GOP over the party’s plans to roll back the Democratic health-care overhaul and a looming debate between defense hawks and advocates of fiscal rectitude. Pence, meanwhile, made news by committing to pursue an investigation into unfounded accusations of widespread voter fraud.

The identity of the source of the recordings is not known; the individual communicated with The Post anonymously via email. The Post reported the contents of the recordings after confirming their authenticity with quoted lawmakers or their staffs.