A new Fox News report published Thursday claimed that the FBI closely monitored the communications of Susie Wiles, now White House chief of staff, during its investigations into President Donald Trump's mishandling of classified documents. According to the report, the investigation produced a "sprawling" catalog of her contacts with attorneys, journalists, campaign officials, Trump Organization personnel, and the Secret Service.

The documents, released by the White House on Monday, detail "Plasmic Echo," the investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents and other presidential records that led to the FBI's 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago and later included possible obstruction of the investigation, Fox reported. "The records show the FBI tracked Wiles' phone activity from at least February through May 2023, cataloging who called her, whom she called, when the calls occurred and how long they lasted," the report stated. "The documents show Wiles was in contact with at least 21 attorneys, along with campaign personnel, Trump Organization contacts, Secret Service contacts and journalists, offering a fuller account of the reach of the bureau's monitoring."

As Reuters first reported in February, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau had subpoenaed phone records belonging to him and Wiles while they were private citizens as part of federal investigations involving Trump. Fox claimed the newly released documents indicate the investigation was more "sprawling" than previously known, "revealing how investigators mapped Wiles' phone contacts across Trump's legal, political, business, media and security circles over several months." That private-citizen element — records collected on people who held no government position at the time — is the crux of the criticism from Trump's allies as the disclosures resurface.

Wiles' contact entries included journalists linked to CNN, The Washington Post, and Politico, while dozens of other entries were identified by labels such as "Lawyer," "Campaign," and "USSS." According to Fox, "The records do not reveal what investigators were seeking to establish through those contacts, what was discussed or provide reliable durations for the calls."

Fox reported that the probe was launched by the FBI and the Justice Department in March 2022, with then-FBI Director Christopher Wray seeking authorization and Attorney General Merrick Garland approving the investigation. The case was later placed under special counsel Jack Smith, whom Garland appointed in November 2022 to oversee the ongoing investigation — a mechanism the Justice Department reserves for matters presenting potential conflicts of interest, invoked days after Trump announced his 2024 campaign. Smith went on to bring two federal indictments against Trump, the documents case and a separate election-related prosecution, though neither reached trial: Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the documents case in July 2024, ruling that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional, and Smith abandoned the remaining charges and appeals after Trump's 2024 election victory, citing the Justice Department's policy against prosecuting a sitting president. At the time the records were collected, Wiles was running Trump's political operation and serving as a top campaign adviser, work she carried out as a private citizen rather than a government official.

Commenting on the report, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News, "Jack Smith's surveillance operation was a disgraceful abuse of government power. Spying on political opponents is weaponization of law enforcement, plain and simple. Those responsible must be held accountable."

The allegations come as Trump's allies have sought to relitigate their attacks against Smith, most notably during a recent Senate hearing at which Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) saw his accusations against the former special counsel fail to gain traction.