A LITTLE ITEM – AT 12:54 P.M. ET:  Almost lost in all the reporting, and yapping, about yesterday's IG report, was a little item about the press.  It's an important item, in my view, and enraging.  From Daily Caller: 

A bombshell inspector general report released Thursday revealed that several FBI employees improperly received gifts from reporters, in connection with possible leaks of sensitive information.

Although public details of these exchanges are scant, they could constitute prosecutable violations of federal gift-giving rules.

The gifts in question included “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 report reads.

Gifting rules for executive branch officials are strict and exacting. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics provides that “executive branch employees may not solicit or accept gifts that are given because of their official positions or that come from certain interested sources (‘prohibited sources’).”

COMMENT:  The media should, in decent regard to itself and its mission, be all over this story.  Of course, it is not.  The press very rarely investigates itself, especially when there are possible criminal violations.  I've always said that the press will gladly correct a wrong middle initial, but won't correct a baseless story that could lead to World War III.

But this is serious, very serious.  Real journalists do not engage in bribery.  Real news organizations do not buy stories, except under extraordinary circumstances.  (They can ethically pay reasonable expenses, such as travel to a TV studio for an interview.)

I want names.  I want to know who allegedly (we must say that) attempted to influence whom.  News outlets must immediately engage the public and outline what steps are being taken to punish those who may be involved, and assure readers and viewers that procedures will be tightened.

I'm not holding my breath.

June 15, 2018