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A senior National Security Council staffer who was a key member of the White House team negotiating on Iran’s nuclear weapons program told POLITICO he deeply regrets tweeting hundreds of anti-administration messages under the pseudonym @natsecwonk.
Jofi Joseph, 40, was fired from his job on the NSC nuclear non-proliferation team a week ago after a months-long probe into a barrage of tweets that included caustic criticisms of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top NSC officials, especially Ben Rhodes – whom he accused of dodging questions about Benghazi.
“It has been a privilege to serve in this Administration and I deeply regret violating the trust and confidence placed in me,†Joseph told POLITICO in an email.
“What started out as an intended parody account of DC culture developed over time into a series of inappropriate and mean-spirited comments. I bear complete responsibility for this affair and I sincerely apologize to everyone I insulted.â€
Obama spokesman Eric Schultz confirmed that Joseph had left the White House – and that he no longer had his top security clearances.
In the course of their investigations, officials also told Joseph they suspected he was responsible for a second anonymous Twitter account “@dchobbyist†which included racier tweets about sexual encounters, escort services – and the inner workings of the State Department.
“Wow, you look amazingly sexy in this photo!†the @dchobbyist wrote in an Oct. 5th post.
“That was him,†a person briefed on the probe told POLITICO.
Joseph didn’t respond to a request for comment on the second account.
Joseph, who was part of the White House team that opened up preliminary negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program in Istanbul earlier this year, lived a double life, working with NSC officials and State Department higher-ups on the most sensitive issues while secretly tweet-bombing them with comments like: “’Has shitty staff.’ #ObamaInThreeWords.â€
For months, White House and State department officials searched for @NatSecWonk, a hunt that intensified after he repeatedly expressed doubts about the official administration accounts about the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi.
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Jofi Joseph, 40, was fired from his job on the NSC nuclear non-proliferation team a week ago after a months-long probe into a barrage of tweets that included caustic criticisms of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top NSC officials, especially Ben Rhodes – whom he accused of dodging questions about Benghazi.
“It has been a privilege to serve in this Administration and I deeply regret violating the trust and confidence placed in me,†Joseph told POLITICO in an email.
“What started out as an intended parody account of DC culture developed over time into a series of inappropriate and mean-spirited comments. I bear complete responsibility for this affair and I sincerely apologize to everyone I insulted.â€
Obama spokesman Eric Schultz confirmed that Joseph had left the White House – and that he no longer had his top security clearances.
In the course of their investigations, officials also told Joseph they suspected he was responsible for a second anonymous Twitter account “@dchobbyist†which included racier tweets about sexual encounters, escort services – and the inner workings of the State Department.
“Wow, you look amazingly sexy in this photo!†the @dchobbyist wrote in an Oct. 5th post.
“That was him,†a person briefed on the probe told POLITICO.
Joseph didn’t respond to a request for comment on the second account.
Joseph, who was part of the White House team that opened up preliminary negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program in Istanbul earlier this year, lived a double life, working with NSC officials and State Department higher-ups on the most sensitive issues while secretly tweet-bombing them with comments like: “’Has shitty staff.’ #ObamaInThreeWords.â€
For months, White House and State department officials searched for @NatSecWonk, a hunt that intensified after he repeatedly expressed doubts about the official administration accounts about the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi.
More at Link