The FBI impersonated a journalist, and that's kind of a big deal

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An FBI agent tells an anonymous suspect online that he is a reporter with the Associated Press. He sends a link to a fake news story, and the suspect clicks. The trap is set, and a 15-year-old accused of making bomb threats is captured.

While that kind of undercover work might seem like business as usual for the FBI, the revelation about the 2007 sting near Seattle has caused an uproar in a journalism community that already feels maligned by the government.

See also: For Conflict Journalists, Kidnappings Loom as a Part of the Job

FBI Director James Comey acknowledged the sting in a letter published in The New York Times on Thursday. Comey wrote: Read more...

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