Washington, June 12 (RHC)-- In the U.S., federal agents have arrested a former senior aide to the Senate Intelligence Committee, charging him with repeatedly lying to the FBI in a probe of who leaked classified information to reporters.

The arrest of James Wolfe came just hours after The New York Times reported it had discovered that federal agents had secretly captured years’ worth of phone and e-mail data from reporter Ali Watkins -- who broke several high-profile stories related to the Intelligence Committee’s work for the Times and other outlets.  The Times reports Watkins and Wolfe previously had a 3-year romantic relationship.  

A New York Times spokesperson blasted the Trump administration’s efforts to spy on its reporter, saying: “Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy, and communications between journalists and their sources demand protection.”

This all comes exactly one year after the Donald Trump administration arrested former U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Leigh Winner, who’s accused of leaking a top-secret document claiming Russian military intelligence launched a cyber-attack on at least one U.S. voting software company just days before the 2016 election.  Winner has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed awaiting trial.