Settlement reached in suits over FBI posing as AP reporter

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press will get a $145,000 settlement following a pair of lawsuits filed after an FBI agent posed as a reporter for The Associated Press and created a fake story. Attorney Adam Marshall says the long-running Freedom of Information Act cases led to appeals court decisions that will help bolster access to public records. The cases also shed light on FBI agents posing as members of the media, a tactic that free press advocates say undermines media credibility and blurs lines between law enforcement and the press. The FBI declined to comment Friday.