Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Sean Penn turned the Beverly Hills Hotel’s famed Polo Lounge into a “war room” for strategizing how to handle his El Chapo controversy over Golden Globes weekend.

But while spies said he consulted with a team that included a former State Department staffer and a political consultant, the star perhaps neglected to consider half of Hollywood could hear everything they were saying.

“He was running around like Woodward and Bernstein at the Washington Post, strategizing as much as possible, even before the El Chapo story broke,” said an amused spy. “They were loudly talking about El Chapo. Everyone was thinking, ‘Is that his next project?’ Then, the story hit.”

But as Penn’s team met daily, “It was like Bad Journalism 101 — they’re meeting in the middle of the Polo Lounge and talking so loud. The place was packed for the Golden Globes. He was standing up while talking to them. Couldn’t they think of anyplace else to meet?”

Among Team Penn’s concerns was that the star’s El Chapo liaison, Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, “was going to write her side of the story,” a witness said. But, “On Monday, they said, ‘She’s not going to write her side,’ they were very relieved . . . [Penn] was like, ‘She wants to be on Charlie Rose instead of me!’”

Also spotted at the hotel over the weekend were Miley Cyrus and Randy Jackson. Penn’s rep had no comment.

See the dramatic raid on El Chapo’s hideout: