Reporter says White House staffer recorded fiery exchange without her knowledge

A heated exchange between White House communications official Omarosa Manigault and a reporter was captured in a recording, The Washington Post reported Tuesday night.

April Ryan, a reporter with American Urban Radio Networks, got into an argument with Manigault near the Oval Office last week, according to the newspaper.

During the exchange, Ryan said, according to The Post, she felt "physically intimidated" by Manigault, and she accused Manigault of saying Ryan was included in supposed White House "dossiers" of negative information on several journalists.

"She stood right in my face like she was going to hit me," Ryan said in The Post.

In a follow-up report from the newspaper on Tuesday night, Manigault denied that she had threatened Ryan and said dossiers were never mentioned in the recorded exchange. She also accused Ryan of hurling insults at her.

Manigault told The Post: "She came in [to the White House press-staff area] hot. She came in with an attitude. For her to characterize me as the bully — I'm so glad we have this tape … because it's 'liar, liar, pants on fire.'"

"I didn't know she was taping it," Ryan said. "This is about her trying to smear my name. This is freaking Nixonian."

Parts of the discussion were shared with other journalists, Manigault said. Fox News White House reporter John Roberts said in an email to The Post that he heard a portion of the recording, and he said "terse words and accusations were exchanged" between Ryan and Manigault. Roberts added, however, that sections of the recording were difficult to hear clearly. He also said he did not hear the word "dossier" mentioned.

Ryan accused of Manigault of editing parts of the recording that were shared with other journalists, The Post reported. "You don't hear her screaming," Ryan said. "This is about her smearing me."

Manigault defended the recording, saying the White House press staff regularly recorded interviews with reporters and officials. "We do it all the time," she said. "When you come into [the press staff's offices], you're on the record."

Though several veteran White House reporters agreed that officials sometimes recorded interviews, they said it was usually done with their knowledge. The District of Columbia is governed by a "one-party consent" recording law, which establishes that phone calls and conversations can be recorded as long as one party in the conversation allows it.

Eleven US states, including California, are governed by two-party consent laws in which everyone involved in the recorded conversation must give their permission.

Reporter says White House staffer recorded fiery exchange without her knowledge

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