One Top Trump Aid Suggests Felony 'Leak' Investigation Of Another. But There Was No Leak.

WASHINGTON, DC — As mistakes among President Trump's staff go, newly installed communications director Anthony Scaramucci committed a doozie Thursday, suggesting on live television that the White House chief of staff Reince Priebus leaked a damaging financial document about him to Politico and could face criminal charges.

Scaramucci said in a tweet overnight that the “leak” was “a felony” and that he talked to Attorney General and FBI contacts about an investigation. The tweet included Priebus’s Twitter handle, which cast suspicion on the the chief of staff, and Scaramucci called CNN Thursday morning while the hosts of "New Day" discussed the tweet, adding more speculation about his primary suspect.

He later called a reporter to unleash an on-the-record string of profane insults and threats of criminal action against Priebus.

See Also: Anthony Scaramucci Loses It In Vulgar Tirade Of Insults And Threats

“He’s the chief of staff,” Scaramucci said on the air. “He’s responsible for understanding and uncovering and helping me do that inside the White House, which is why I put that tweet out last night.” Interpretations by journalists that the tweet was an accusation against Priebus suggested that he might be a leaker because the journalists know who gives them information, Scaramucci reasoned.

One big problem with all the drama: not only was Priebus innocent of leaking the financial document, there was no leak at all. The document is available to anybody who asks for it. Politico asked.

Scaramucci's tweet and the call to CNN that followed provided starkly public evidence of reports that he is not beholden to Priebus and is battling for the influence that comes with impressing President Trump.

Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier, said on CNN that he has a "very good idea who the senior leakers are," adding that he had talked to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and to his "buddies" in the FBI about the matter.

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"In light of the leak of my financial disclosure info which is a felony, I will be contacting @FBI and the @JusticeDept #swamp @Reince45," his since-deleted tweet read.

Although he is new to the White House, Scaramucci had been employed at a senior level by the Export-Import Bank since June 19. After 30 days, the financial disclosure forms filed by senior administration officials are made public. Politico used the form to detail Scaramucci's considerable wealth and investments that could potentially lead to conflicts of interest now that he's in the White House

The issue of leaks has weighed heavily on Trump as his administration tries to navigate questions about contacts some Trump campaign associates may have had with Russian government officials.

The recent revelation that Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with a Russian government lawyer has magnified those questions and fueled Trump's frustration over leaks to the media.

Scaramucci told CNN's "New Day" that officials sometimes "leak things to reporters to help shape policy." But he said he wants to stop what he calls "nefarious, unnecessary, backstabbing, palace intrigue-like leaks."

Asked what he meant by including Priebus, Scaramucci said, "If Reince wants to explain he's not the leaker, he can do that."

At his White House debut last Friday, Scaramucci addressed reports of a contentious relationship with Priebus, saying that they are like brothers who "rough each other up a little."

Priebus told The Associated Press last week that he supports Scaramucci "100 percent," despite reportedly trying to prevent him from getting an administration position.

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, and her husband, powerful senior aide Jared Kushner, have known Scaramucci for years from New York and pushed for his hiring.

Scaramucci notably said he reports directly to the president, not to the chief of staff. That's a highly unusual arrangement for a communications director and a possible reflection that Priebus' standing with Trump is often uncertain.

Trump's first White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, resigned last week with the news that Scaramucci was being brought on as communications director.

By VIVIAN SALAMA, Associated Press

Associated Press writer Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report.

Photos credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press