Politico is on heightened alert after publishing a bombshell leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v Wade.
In a memo emailed to all staff on Tuesday, the influential D.C. news outlet outlined additional security precautions now in place as a result of the story, which was based on an unprecedented leak out of the high court and suggested a conservative majority intends to strike down the landmark 1973 decision establishing a legal right to an abortion.
“Given the heightened visibility to POLITICO following our reporting on the Supreme Court last night, we would like to ensure that you are aware of several additional safety measures that we are proactively putting in place,” Politico’s Chief Talent Officer Traci Schweikert wrote atop the memo obtained and reviewed by The Daily Beast.
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In addition to outlining rigorous new safety precautions, the memo reiterated existing measures and ensured all employees: “Your safety and well-being are of utmost importance.”
The memo further called upon staffers to be aware of ways in which they can protect themselves from physical or digital threats. “First, be aware of anyone accessing our elevators with you and the possibility of ‘tailgating’ to your floor,” the email continued, later encouraging employees to take active measures to secure their social-media accounts and scrubbing private information from their profiles.
A Politico spokesperson declined to comment. One source familiar with the matter emphasized to The Daily Beast that the heightened security measures are proactive in nature and not in response to any specific threat.
The leak of a draft SCOTUS opinion from within the confines of the court led to condemnation on Tuesday from Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote in a statement: “To the extent that this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.” Roberts also wrote that he directed the court’s marshal to hunt down the leaker, calling it a “singular and egregious breach.”
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