[Yuki Maru Hoshi]

So I did a search recently because I had read something in my feed about gifts being given by media to FBI agents (and have little time to dedicate to searching atm)... I tried to find a more "palatable" source, but 99% are conservative-leaning sites as they are the only folk covering it. I checked some of my left-leaning reading lists and did a search on those and it's not mentioned. Maybe something is being told on TV, but I haven't had time to watch/catch up... so anyway, those sites will be panned. It is in the 500-pg report though and will be (re-)evaluated in a separate investigation.

FBI employees received 'improper' gifts from reporters, routinely leaked to media without authorization: IG report
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...eport.amp.html

"We identified instances where FBI employees improperly received benefits from reporters, including tickets to sporting events, golfing outings, drinks and meals, and admittance to nonpublic social events," reads the report by the inspector general, Michael Horowitz.

But because the inappropriate gifts were outside the scope of the IG's look at the Clinton email investigation, Horowitz added that the DOJ watchdog "will separately report on those investigations as they are concluded."

Along with the FBI's cozy relationship with the media, Horowitz's report charges that officials in the bureau at "all levels of the organization" leaked information to reporters without authorization.

The FBI's strict media relations policy, which explains specifically who can disclose information to the media, was "widely ignored" during the Clinton email probe and afterwards, the IG report said.

From the report itself:

Improper Disclosure of Non-Public Information

As we also describe in Chapter Twelve, among the issues we reviewed were allegations that Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information regarding the Midyear investigation. Although FBI policy strictly limits the employees who are authorized to speak to the media, we found that this policy appeared to be widely ignored during the period we reviewed.

We identified numerous FBI employees, at all levels of the organization and with no official reason to be in contact with the media, who were nevertheless in frequent contact with reporters. Attached to this report as Attachments E and F are two link charts that reflect the volume of communications that we identified between FBI employees and media representatives in April/May and October 2016. We have profound concerns about the volume and extent of unauthorized media contacts by FBI personnel that we have uncovered during our review.

In addition, we identified instances where FBI employees improperly received benefits from reporters, including tickets to sporting events, golfing outings, drinks and meals, and admittance to nonpublic social events. We will separately report on those investigations as they are concluded, consistent with the Inspector General Act, other applicable federal statutes, and OIG policy.

The harm caused by leaks, fear of potential leaks, and a culture of unauthorized media contacts is illustrated in Chapters Ten and Eleven of our report, where we detail the fact that these issues influenced FBI officials who were advising Comey on consequential investigative decisions in October 2016. The FBI updated its media policy in November 2017, restating its strict guidelines concerning media contacts, and identifying who is required to obtain authority before engaging members of the media, and when and where to report media contact. We do not believe the problem is with the FBI’s policy, which we found to be clear and unambiguous. Rather, we concluded that these leaks highlight the need to change what appears to be a cultural attitude among many in the organization.

At least the DOJ appears to be doing their job and being very thorough about it... but what a time to be alive in America. Lawsuits and investigations for everyone!.. Would you like an investigation to go with your investigation?...