President Donald Trump's recently fired personal assistant is a high-rolling gambler who bet tens of thousands of dollars at a time, thereby posing a security risk, according to a report.
John McEntee, who was unceremoniously booted from the White House this week, opened himself up to outside influence by frequently betting large sums of money online, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
McEntee's gambling was likely not illegal, but there was concern among White House personnel that he could be vulnerable to blackmail.
A background investigation found that McEntee's gambling habits made him unsuitable for a position close to the president, sources said.
The 27-year-old became Trump's personal assistance right after the inauguration. It's unclear how much sensitive information he had access to. Before joining the White House, McEntee was a starting quarterback at the University of Connecticut and also worked as a production assistant at Fox News.
He began volunteering for the Trump campaign in July 2015.
McEntee was escorted off the White House grounds on Monday without being allowed to get his coat.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to comment on McEntee's departure during a news conference Tuesday, saying, "We don't comment on personnel issues."
The Trump 2020 re-election campaign immediately hired McEntee as a senior adviser after his termination.
McEntee's ouster comes as White House Chief of Staff John Kelly continues to speed up background checks for staffers with pending security clearances.
