White House staffer sacked over tweets

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

The White House did not issue any official statement on the matter. AP photo

A White House national security official has been dismissed after being identified as the source of tweets insulting the administration that were sent under a fake name, news reports said on Oct. 22.

A White House source said this official no longer works for the administration of President Barack Obama, but declined to give details. The Daily Beast news website reported that Jofi Joseph, 40, who worked on nuclear non-proliferation in the National Security Council, was let go after being identified as the author of messages sent under the name “@NatSecWonk.” Tweets sent under this account assailed the Obama administration and the Republicans, as well as conservative political commentators, The Daily Beast said.

The comments targeted a close friend and adviser of the president, Valerie Jarrett, foreign policy speech writer Ben Rhodes and even Secretary of State John Kerry.

Another news website, Politico, said it had received an email statement from Joseph. “It has been a privilege to serve in this administration and I deeply regret violating the trust and confidence placed in me,” Joseph was quoted as saying. The White House issued no statement.