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Saturday 6 OctOber 2018
Still Anonymous: White House hunt for op-ed author fades

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and largely went ignored.
CATHERINE LUCEY It was never expected that
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- the Justice Department
member Anonymous? would move to open an in-
One month ago Friday, vestigation. A White House
an unidentified Trump ad- official later said Trump's
ministration official set off call for the investigation
a White House firestorm was an expression of his
by claiming in a New York frustration with the op-ed,
Times opinion piece to be rather than an order for
part of a secret "resistance" federal prosecutors.
force out to undermine White House chief of staff
parts of President Donald John Kelly, communica-
Trump's agenda. tions director Bill Shine and
The article triggered cries of press secretary Sarah Huck-
"treason" from Trump and a abee Sanders convened
demand that the powers of a series of closed-door
the federal government be meetings and ordered a
brought to bear to root out cursory leak search, includ-
the disloyal officials. ing enforcing a pre-existing
And then ... not much hap- ban on personal phones,
pened. according to three White
The investigation, which House officials not autho-
existed more in name than In this June 17, 2018, file photo, the White House is seen illuminated by the setting sun with storm rized to speak publicly
practice, stalled. A move clouds nearby in Washington. about internal meetings.
to clean house never oc- Associated Press But as the op-ed was wiped
curred. The author's identity from the headlines by other
is still a mystery. ranks around the Oval Of- The Sept. 5 publication of "You look at this horrible news events, most notably
Still, publication of the fice, growing far more sus- the op-ed rocked Washing- thing that took place. Is it the contentious confirma-
piece, along with a new picious of staff and trusting ton. The author, described subversion, is it treason?" tion hearings for Supreme
Bob Woodward book fewer West Wing personnel. only as a senior adminis- Trump bellowed. "It really is Court nominee Brett Kava-
painting a picture of a That's according to four tration official, wrote that terrible." naugh, the probe was qui-
president whose impulses White House officials and "Many Trump appointees The Beltway guessing game etly pushed aside.
were being thwarted by Republicans close to the have vowed to do what seeped into the White The White House did not
his own staff, has had some White House who were not we can to preserve our House, as current and for- respond to a request for
lasting aftershocks. authorized to speak pub- democratic institutions mer staffers traded calls comment.
The president, already be- licly about private conver- while thwarting Mr. Trump's and texts trying to figure Though the president con-
sieged by leaks, has closed sations. more misguided impulses out who could have writ- tinued to vent about the
until he is out of office." ten the piece, some even leaks, aides never con-
Government won't The writer went on: "It may asking reporters for clues. ducted an exhaustive
be cold comfort in this cha-
Trump ordered aides to un-
search, according to two
appeal freedom for otic era, but Americans mask the writer, cited "na- of the officials. And many
should know that there are tional security" concerns to administration officials rec-
ognized that there was
adults in the room. We fully justify a possible Justice De-
pizza deliveryman recognize what is happen- partment investigation and a long list of officials who
plausibly could have been
ing. And we are trying to issued an extraordinary de-
do what's right even when mand that the newspaper the author.
Donald Trump won't." reveal the author. The West Wing and, for the
By LARRY NEUMEISTER knew — there was abso- The piece landed the same Trump's anger triggered most part, Trump himself
Associated Press lutely no legitimate reason week as Woodward's "Fear" an extraordinary parade moved on, focusing on the
NEW YORK (AP) — An Ecua- to lock Mr. Villavicencio up and emphasized the new of senior officials, Cabinet upcoming midterm elec-
dorian pizza deliveryman and take him away from his book's themes: that Trump members and even the tions and the push to get
freed from an immigra- family," Cuomo said. appeared unfit for office vice president, who issued Kavanaugh on the bench.
tion detention facility by Villavicencio, 35, was de- and some of his closest statements and stood be- But Trump has confided to
a judge who criticized the tained June 1 in New Jer- aides viewed themselves fore cameras to deny that allies that he still is frustrated
handling of the case will sey after delivering pizza as a bulwark between his they were part of the re- by frequent leaks and feels
remain free after the gov- to the Fort Hamilton Army worst decisions and the sistance. Some Trump ad- that there are few aides
ernment declined Friday to base in Brooklyn. The de- American public. visers, like attorney Rudy around him whom he can
pursue an appeal. tention came as Villavicen- Trump was incensed about Giuliani, suggested that it fully trust, according to the
Attorneys notified the 2nd cio was in the process of the op-ed, calling around would be "appropriate" for three White House officials
U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- seeking to establish legal to confidants to vent about Trump to ask for a formal in- and Republicans close to
peals in Manhattan that residency and overcome the author, solicit guesses vestigation into the identity the White House.
the government won't a 2010 order to leave the as to his or her identity, of the op-ed author. And Beyond a network of out-
challenge a judge's July country. He is married to a seethe that it appeared in Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, side advisers Trump has
decision freeing Pablo Vil- U.S. citizen. Their two young the newspaper he loves to a key ally of Trump's, called known for decades, the
lavicencio. daughters also are U.S. citi- hate, and complain that for the president to order officials said, those on
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a zens. Cuomo said his arrest a "deep state" within the those suspected of being the inside the president
Democrat, said in a state- "while he was doing his job administration was conspir- the author to undergo lie- continues to trust include
ment that he wasn't sur- was an outrageous affront ing against him. At a rally detector tests. family: daughter Ivanka
prised. to our New York values and that week in Montana, he But then, mirroring the very Trump and her husband,
"The federal government is raised serious concerns of called the author "an anon- thesis of the op-ed, Trump's Jared Kushner, both senior
admitting what we already ethnic profiling."q ymous, gutless coward." requests to the government advisers.q