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FBI Agents can Pose as Journalists...
US News & Worl Repost ^ | 15 September 2016 | Alan Neuhauser

Posted on 09/16/2016 5:12:21 AM PDT by ManHunter

FBI agents may impersonate journalists while conducting undercover investigations, and an agent who posed as an editor with the Associated Press during a 2007 investigation did not violate agency policies, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found in a report released Thursday.

The conclusion sparked consternation across social media by journalists, civil rights groups and some legal experts, who have argued that the practice – by its very existence – threatens to heighten public mistrust of reporters, damage journalists' credibility and have a chilling effect on sources and whistleblowers who may fear that their contacts in the media are actually undercover agents


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bhodoj; corruption; fbi; fbijournalists; ruling
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This headline caught my eye because my immediate reaction was, "Sure they can, but they can't even pretend to be federal investigators - at least where high-ranking government officials are concerned."

After a little more thought, this thought occurred to me: "Hell, why would so-called journalists object; they're posing as journalists too..."

1 posted on 09/16/2016 5:12:21 AM PDT by ManHunter
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To: ManHunter

Correct.

“damage journalists’ credibility”

How can you damage what does not already exist.


2 posted on 09/16/2016 5:16:01 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: ManHunter

I see...it’s okay when law enforcement goes undercover in any of our professions, right?

But now that your ox is being gored, that’s different.

Hypocrites as usual.

And by the way, big media has already done pretty much all they can do to discredit themselves for generations to come.


3 posted on 09/16/2016 5:17:37 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: ManHunter

Lol. They can pose as the President if they want. Why do journalists think they’re untouchable?


4 posted on 09/16/2016 5:17:40 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: ManHunter

In other news, DNC members pose as journalists.


5 posted on 09/16/2016 5:18:54 AM PDT by TMA62 (Al Sharpton - The North Korea of race relations)
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To: ManHunter

The FBI can pose as stupid BATFE agents. The Friends of Bill and Islam can pose as 100s of very Special Agents “investigating” H->! .


6 posted on 09/16/2016 5:19:52 AM PDT by Paladin2 (auto spelchk? BWAhaha2haaa.....I aint't likely fixin' nuttin'. Blame it on the Bossa Nova...)
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To: ManHunter

demoncrat activists and muzz slime 5th columnists pose as journos all the time.


7 posted on 09/16/2016 5:21:24 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (If Trump loses, America dies)
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To: ManHunter

Gerbilists pose as “reporters” every day.


8 posted on 09/16/2016 5:21:25 AM PDT by Paladin2 (auto spelchk? BWAhaha2haaa.....I aint't likely fixin' nuttin'. Blame it on the Bossa Nova...)
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To: ManHunter

The solution is to regulate journalism by creating a Certified Public Journalist title that is registered by the various states.

To be a Certified Public Journalist and attach the CPJ title to the byline one must take a test involving an oath to swear to the truth and the ethical practices.

Thus, a law enforcement officer pretending to be a CPJ could be arrested for fraud the same as he can for fraudulently being a GRI realtor


9 posted on 09/16/2016 5:25:12 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... Hilary is an Ameriphobe)
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To: ManHunter

,,,,, do you mean like journalist in the tank for Hillary ???


10 posted on 09/16/2016 5:29:58 AM PDT by Lionheartusa1 ()-: ISIS is Islam without the lipstick :-()
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To: ManHunter

Why not.

They are already posing as unbiased investigators.


11 posted on 09/16/2016 5:33:04 AM PDT by Iron Munro (If Illegals voted Rebublican 50 Million Democrats Would Be Screaming "Build The Wall!")
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To: ManHunter
What happens if you lie to an FBI agent posing as a journalist?

12 posted on 09/16/2016 5:34:04 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: ManHunter

Thanks that is good to know.


13 posted on 09/16/2016 5:47:51 AM PDT by The_Republic_Of_Maine (politicians beware)
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To: ManHunter

Apparently, so can KGB, al queda, and PLO agents as well.


14 posted on 09/16/2016 5:51:20 AM PDT by MuttTheHoople (Yes, Liberals, I question your patriotism)
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To: ManHunter; Texas Fossil; MichaelCorleone; nuconvert; TMA62; Paladin2; Sirius Lee; bert; ...
LOL! The "journalists" at the 9/11 memorial this Sunday past must have ALL been undercover FBI agents.

After all, it's the FBI's job to hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil when it comes to the Seizing Pig In A Pantsuit...

15 posted on 09/16/2016 5:54:46 AM PDT by kiryandil (Hillary Clinton is not sophisticated enough to understand the Bill of Rights, either.)
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To: BitWielder1
What happens if you lie to an FBI agent posing as a journalist?

That's an interesting question, and I expect that the answer depends on who the questionee is. If it was Hillary, there would obviously be 'no intent' and thus no consequences. If it was a Tea Partier, expect the outcome would be quite different, and one would need to hope for a fair jury after spending $10s of thousands on a defense.

16 posted on 09/16/2016 5:58:09 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: kiryandil

Good one!


17 posted on 09/16/2016 5:58:18 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (If Trump loses, America dies)
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To: PAR35

Lying to a federal agent who is posing as a journalist is not making a false statement to an investigator. It is not illegal to lie to journalists.


18 posted on 09/16/2016 6:03:14 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Cboldt

You are assuming that we are a nation under the rule of law, which is no longer the case, and that the same rules apply to all people, which they don’t.


19 posted on 09/16/2016 6:07:03 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: ManHunter

The thing is, being untrained, these FBI agents may accidentally report real and factual news.

And that’s how we will be able to spot them.


20 posted on 09/16/2016 6:11:34 AM PDT by Lazamataz (MSM ignoring Hillary's health until forced, shows us they are the MPM: Ministry of Propaganda Media)
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