Two key Trump administration officials revealed this week that they were secretly targeted by the FBI, which used Google to obtain private information from their accounts—raising fresh concerns over surveillance abuse and politically motivated lawfare.
Dan Scavino, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, shared for the first time on X that the FBI had obtained information from his Google account without his knowledge. The revelation comes just weeks before he is expected to rejoin the Trump White House.
“I’ve never shared this – but this is a small taste of the INSANITY that many of us went through – right here in the United States of America. LAWFARE at its finest,” Scavino wrote.
“I Got One of Those Too…”
The disclosure prompted a public response from FBI Director Kash Patel, who reposted Scavino’s message with the statement:
“I got one of those too…”
Patel served in multiple high-level intelligence and defense roles during the Trump administration, including Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the NSC, Deputy to the Acting DNI, and Chief of Staff at the Pentagon.
Earlier, as counsel to then-Rep. Devin Nunes, Patel led the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into FISA abuses by the FBI during the Crossfire Hurricane probe—raising questions of conflict of interest if any investigation into him overlapped with that timeline.
A Pattern of Abuse?
The revelations echo earlier examples of misconduct—most notably FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who altered evidence to deceive the FISA Court into approving a warrant against Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Clinesmith was convicted but received only 12 months of probation and a temporary suspension of his law license.
Meanwhile, Trump-affiliated attorneys such as Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Jeff Clark face disbarment or sanctions for their post-2020 election litigation efforts.
Observers note the double standard, especially given that FISA warrants under the Two-Hop Rule can extend surveillance beyond the original target, potentially reaching President Trump himself.
Google’s Role Under Scrutiny
Former NSC official Ezra Cohen-Watnick questioned Google’s compliance with the subpoenas:
“Why didn’t Google fight these unlawful subpoenas that targeted many Trump officials? They enthusiastically complied. Should they face consequences?”
Google’s policy claims they review all requests and may object or narrow their scope. It remains unclear whether they objected to any FBI requests involving Scavino or Patel.
According to standard practice, Google notifies account holders only after gag orders expire, meaning many former officials may just now be learning they were surveilled.
A FOIA Request and Ongoing Questions
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has been filed to obtain more information about the FBI’s actions. Scavino’s post did not specify the legal basis used to justify the surveillance.
With ongoing concerns about the weaponization of federal agencies, the disclosures have reignited calls for accountability—not just for surveillance abuse, but also for private tech companies’ cooperation with federal investigations targeting political opponents.
More updates are expected as the FOIA request is processed.
