Trump aide Madeleine Westerhout fired after leaking intimate information about president's family to journalists

Trump aide Madeleine Westerhout fired after leaking intimate information about president's family to journalists
Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Madeleine Westerhout, who served as President Donald Trump's personal assistant ever since he took the office of the president, has resigned.

Sources close to Westerhout told The Independent that she had resigned on Thursday, August 29, after Trump found out that she had shared details about his family as well as details about discussions that took place in the Oval Office with reporters.

ADVERTISEMENT

A White House personnel revealed that these discussions took place in an off-the-record conversation that Westerhout had at a dinner party with reporters who were staying at hotels near Bedminster, New Jersey.

Westerhout's discussions concerning the first family and official White House proceedings led to a breach of trust that wasn't welcomed by the president. It ultimately led to Westerhout stepping down from her position on Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Neither the White House nor Westerhout has yet commented on this.

Westerhout was a former Republican National Committee aide and had also worked with Mitt Romney during his 2012 presidential campaign.

It has been reported that Westerhout wasn't too pleased with the news that Trump had won the elections and allegedly cried after hearing the news.

Trump reportedly had his doubts about inviting Westerhout to be part of his Oval Office.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, White House officials including former Chief of Staff John Kelly were keen on having Westerhout on board as they were of the view that she could be an asset and help them manage the Oval Office. They thought she would be a perfect fit for the role that involved blocking individuals from reaching the president while also reporting back about the meetings or calls.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are reports that many of Westerhout's co-workers were surprised by the news of her resignation. People who worked closely with her told CNN that she was loyal to Trump and held faith in his decisions when it came to politics.

ADVERTISEMENT

As part of her job, Westerhout had been seen with some of the key players in the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Westerhout was one of the six White House officials who violated the Hatch Act in 2018. The Hatch Act prohibits employees who are part of the federal government from engaging in any form of political activity. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The other six officials who were accused of violating the Hatch Act were White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah, deputy director of communications Jessica Ditto, former special assistant to the President and director of media affairs Helen Aguirre Ferré, press secretary for the Vice President Alyssa Farah and Office of Management and Budget deputy communications Director Jacob Wood.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this article:

 donald trump personal assistant resigns white house oval office Hutch Act Madeleine Westerhout