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Politicians’ Smartphone Scandals Expose Risks of Texting
Seven public figures lost jobs after offensive texts leaked, revealing unfiltered private communications that harm reputations and political careers, sources said.
- On Tuesday, Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, withdrew after Politico's Oct. 20 report that eroded Senate support amid seven job losses tied to leaked messages.
- Texting's low-friction nature leaves public figures vulnerable as parts of the brain don’t register texting as real conversation, letting unguarded impulses slip out on smartphones.
- Reporters verified messages by interviewing participants and confirming phone numbers, while Anna Bower and Lindsey Halligan highlighted AI-era challenges in newsroom verification practices.
- Jay Jones, Virginia attorney general candidate, faced a threatened campaign after a National Review Oct. 3 story, while some young chat participants warned leaks would 'cook' them.
- Newsrooms say there is a high bar for publishing private communications and explain why such material merits coverage, while observers compare leaked texts to hot mics and White House tapes, noting similar scandals keep emerging despite risks.
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Associated Press News+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Watch those texts! Smartphones emerging as a new way for public figures to get into hot water
Some public figures carry threats to their livelihood in the palms of their hands. In recent weeks, the Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, a group of aspiring Republican leaders and one of President Donald Trump's nominees for an important job have all been knocked down by stories t
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Total News Sources24
Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution65% Center
Bias Distribution
- 65% of the sources are Center
65% Center
L 31%
C 65%
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