Guido Fawkes has hired the young journalist who helped expose British diplomatic cables about Donald Trump, which led to the the resignation of ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch.
Steve Edgington, 20, joins as the fourth staffer at the political blogging site, which is bolstering its ranks ahead of an expected general election this year.
Edginton (pictured), a former Brexit Party digital strategist, was working as a freelance journalist when a source shared memos written by Sir Kim branding Trump’s White House “inept” and “incompetent”.
He revealed in a comment piece for the Mail on Sunday that he had worked with Isabel Oakeshott on the cables leak story, but did not receive a byline credit when it appeared on the paper’s front page on 7 July.
He denied that his work exposing the cables was part of a “Brexiteer plot” to topple Sir Kim, but rather his own “honest journalistic endeavour” into how the Civil Service has been preparing for Brexit.
Guido Fawkes editor Paul Staines said: “I’m always on the look out for aspiring reporters with great potential, Steven clearly has the talent and hunger to be a great success.”
Edington was involved in the Brexit Party’s video output for the European elections in May, at which the party won a large number of seats.
The Met Police opened a criminal investigation into the cables leak under the Official Secrets Act and warn editors against publishing the documents, saying to do so could be a “criminal matter”, but later backtracked.
Edginton said he had “been looking over my shoulder and on edge with anxiety” prior to revealing his role in the leak.
He joins Staines, Tom Harwood and Christian Calgie at Guido Fawkes.
Former Guido staffers include Buzzfeed’s Alex Wickham, Mail on Sunday deputy political editor Harry Cole and special advisers Ross Kempsell and Hugh Bennett.
Picture: Guido Fawkes
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
