Nancy Pelosi, in a briefing, discussed that technique. She named it and she drew a map of exactly how it’s done.
Government Leak to media
Media writes it
Government refers to the media report for substantiating it.
Nancy explains the “wrap up smear” = how DEMs use the media to spread falsehoods and then use those press reports as “proof” of whatever smear they’re doing i.e. “Russia” or “Whisteblower” or Kavanaugh etc.: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4754024/nancy-pelosi-wrap-up-smear
I think she called it a “wrap up smear”? Or something like that.