White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday acknowledged that West Wing staffers in President Trump’s administration are required to sign confidentiality agreements.
Conway railed against the revelations in former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman’s upcoming book, “Unhinged: An Insider Account of the Trump White House” including her assertion that she was offered $15,000 a month to work for the Trump campaign and remain quiet about her time in the White House.
Asked on ABC’s “This Week” if Trump has a habit of offering hush money to outgoing White House staffers, Conway argued that confidentiality agreements are standard in the current administration.
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“We have confidentiality agreements in the West Wing, absolutely we do,” Conway said. “And why wouldn’t we?”
“You’re a public employee,” anchor Jon Karl noted.
“Confidentiality is implied, Jon,” Conway responded, pivoting to reports that Manigault Newman recorded conversations during her time in the White House.
“You have a reasonable expectation of confidentiality and privacy in your conversations at your place of work,” Conway said.
Shortly after Conway’s comments on ABC, Manigault Newman appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where she provided a copy of the nondisclosure agreement she was urged to sign upon her departure.
The document includes a nondisparagement clause that prohibits the signee from publicly demeaning the Trump campaign, the president, Vice President Pence or any of their family members.
Manigault Newman claimed that the White House has offered $15,000 a month payments to several former White House employees in exchange for their silence.
“You believe all these people that are on the campaign, that left the west wing and the campaign are being bought off?” NBC’s Chuck Todd asked.
“Absolutely,” Manigault Newman responded. “The campaign, the [Republican National Committee] and America First, which is why Sean Spicer was describing Donald Trump as a unicorn jumping over rainbows, because he sigend this same agreement.”
A Washington Post columnist reported earlier this year that senior staffers in Trump’s White House are required to sign nondisclosure agreements, though the report did not include any indication staffers were paid for their silence.
The American Civil Liberties Union blasted the reported agreements, calling it unenforceable and unconstitutional to require public employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement.