FBI Tracked Trump Family Travel, Tapped Aide in 'Plasmic Echo' Probe

The FBI monitored the travel of Melania and Barron Trump and tapped the phone of Susie Wiles, who would later become White House Chief of Staff, as part of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the alleged unlawful retention of national security papers at Mar-a-Lago. This surveillance occurred under the Biden administration as part of a secret probe codenamed "Plasmic Echo."

Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the wiretaps based on a recommendation from then-FBI Director Christopher Wray. In a May 2022 memo, Wray cautioned that the sensitive investigation could affect key figures from the 45th president's administration and potentially disrupt the democratic process if revealed before an election. He nonetheless advised Garland to approve the surveillance, writing, "Merrick, I recomend you approve. CW."

Wiles was managing Trump's political operations in preparation for the 2024 election at the time.

Details of these FBI actions were disclosed in documents released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force. An email exchange between FBI agents in late May 2022 outlined the probe's progression, including finalizing the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, coordinating with the Southern District of Florida US Attorney’s office, and closely observing Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump. Agents noted in their plan to "Finalize FBI understanding of FPOTUS/FLOTUS/minor son’s travel (type of aircraft and specific timeline)" before executing the warrant and coordinating with relevant agencies in West Palm Beach.

The FBI executed the raid on Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022, searching Trump's office and the bedrooms of both Donald and Melania Trump.

Between February and May 2023, the FBI monitored Wiles' cell phone, recording conversations with nearly two dozen lawyers associated with Trump, campaign aides, political advisors, and journalists. The identities of most individuals are redacted, with the exception of Kash Patel, the current FBI Director, who was out of government service at the time.

The logs indicated that Trump, referred to as "The FPOTUS Vanity Number," called Wiles multiple times. One entry from May 19, 2023, noted a 16-minute call.

Records showed Wiles' phone was in near-constant use, with calls occurring approximately every 10 minutes. For instance, on March 9, 2023, Wiles engaged in 39 calls, including conversations with campaign staff, lawyers, and Trump himself.

An FBI intelligence analyst noted in late February 2023 that an ABC News reporter had called Wiles for over two minutes. On March 24, 2023, a memo detailed that a specific lawyer first contacted Wiles on March 21, and Wiles returned the call later that day, noting these as the only observed contacts between them since the probe's inception.

By April 2023, Wiles had been interviewed by FBI agents in Jacksonville, Florida, and her communications before and after the interview were scrutinized. An FBI memo from April 10, 2023, stated that agents reviewed Wiles' telephone activity for contacts of interest on the day of her interview. On that date, she spoke with former President Trump and several of his lawyers, and also received calls from reporters from The Washington Post and Politico.

At the time of the surveillance, Smith's investigation focused on grand jury proceedings related to potential obstruction of justice and whether Trump had falsely claimed all classified documents were returned. However, in July 2024, a federal judge dismissed the documents case against Trump, ruling that Smith's appointment by Garland was unconstitutional.

A White House spokesperson condemned the surveillance, stating, "Jack Smith’s surveillance operation was a disgraceful abuse of government power. Spying on political opponents is weaponization of law enforcement, plain and simple. Those responsible must be held accountable."