The last time we heard from Donald Trump’s first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, he and Hillary Clinton’s ex-campaign manager, Robby Mook were paired together by a Washington, D.C. speakers agency. Unlike video of Lewandowski frantically trying to gain entry to his former boss’s inauguration, however, the story ultimately proved false as the advertisements were simply a part of the agency’s unapproved marketing materials. Even so, the political commentator turned private consultant hasn’t shied away from the spotlight — especially when it comes to bragging about what he can do for potential clients, apparently.
According to BuzzFeed News, representatives with Facebook and the Blackstone Group — two potential clients for Lewandowski’s new consulting firm — claim the man in question “mentioned having access to Trump’s Twitter account as a selling point.” The report’s information comes from several anonymous sources “who were briefed on each meeting by participants,” as well as others who suggest Lewandowski pulled the same stunt during additional meetings with other possible clients. “It wasn’t a question of whether they believed him or not,” explained one of the sources. “It was as weird as him walking into the office and saying, ‘I like chocolate.'”
Meanwhile, pretty much every major party involved in the story denied Lewandowski ever made such a claim. “I know facts don’t matter to buzz feed [sic] but it’s not true,” he wrote in an email to the website, adding: “I never met Blackstone. Please make sure you accurately report that! I doubt you will.” A White House official confirmed Lewandowski’s response, saying he “does not have access” to the president’s Twitter account. So too did Ed Brookover, a recent addition to the firm who noted, “We don’t discuss what we say in pitch meetings.” As for Facebook and the Blackstone Group, they either said much of the same or refused to comment altogether.
Whether or not Lewandowski made the claim, or actually retains access to Trump’s Twitter account, the new report further highlights the White House’s ongoing issues of cyber security. In late January, several Twitter trolls and reporters discovered official accounts for Sean Spicer and other administration officials were tied to private, unprotected email accounts. To make matters worse, Spicer’s Venmo and WHOIS accounts were found to be left public — meaning practically anyone could access the press secretary’s email address, phone number, and home address without issue.
(Via BuzzFeed News)