FROM FOX NEWS:
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision to limit reporter access to staff offices, citing concerns about “eavesdropping” on sensitive information.
On Oct. 31, the White House and the National Security Council confirmed that journalists would be prohibited from accessing Room 140 — often called “Upper Press” — near the Oval Office unless scheduled in advance. Credentialed White House journalists could previously enter the room on short notice to speak with senior officials.
Leavitt told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine on “Pod Force One” Wednesday that the restrictions became necessary after the discovery of reporters recording sensitive information from the area without White House permission.
“We felt it became very inappropriate for reporters to be loitering around sensitive information in our offices,” Leavitt said. “And we did unfortunately catch some unruly reporters recording us without our permission, listening in on conversations, eavesdropping.
“We’d have staff meetings in the morning. Some of the reporters started to pick up on that. And we’d walk out, and they would be out there trying to listen. If Secretary Rubio or the chief [of staff] want to come in and brief us on something, you’d have reporters out there heckling them. It just became an inappropriate work environment.”
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