National Security Advisor Mike Waltz left his Venmo account wide open to the public until Wednesday afternoon, exposing hundreds of personal and professional contacts to potential exploitation.
A so-called “analysis” by the leftist tech outlet WIRED revealed that the account, listed under “Michael Waltz” with a profile photo of the man himself, connected to names tied to the Trump administration’s inner circle—names like Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, and Walker Barrett, a National Security Council staffer.
The account exposed a 328-person network, including military officials, political strategists, prominent journalists, and even other members of the Trump administration’s inner circle.
After WIRED began digging, both Waltz and Trump campaign powerhouse Susie Wiles quickly made their Venmo accounts private.
According to the news outlet:
A WIRED review of public data exposed on Venmo accounts associated with senior administration officials suggests that the Signal group chat was not an isolated mistake, but part of a broader pattern of what national security experts describe as reckless behavior by some of the most powerful people in the US government.
The Venmo account under Waltz’s name includes a 328-person friend list. Among them are accounts sharing the names of people closely associated with