Who is a "senior administration official"? It depends

Certainly cabinet secretaries would qualify, and top aides in the White House, like the chief of staff.

But veterans of Washington recognized that the list was potentially far broader, and murkier. (The name is known to the Times editorial page department, which operates separately from the news department.)

Generally, sourcing descriptions are a matter of negotiation between a journalist and a source. Both breeds have historically found reason to tack on “senior” when possible: It can help a reporter convey gravitas — who would trust an administration official of merely medium import? — and feed the ego of a government employee chafing daily at the constraints of life in the federal bureaucracy.