Constitutional Law

National News Network Misses Major Piece of ACORN Investigation, Group Says

NBC’s reporting on the FBI investigation of ACORN, the nonprofit community organizing group, has failed to note Department of Justice regulations that bar officials from talking about such ongoing investigations.

Media Matters For America noted today that on Oct. 17, NBC’s “Today” and “Nightly News” coverage of the investigation failed to mention the DOJ regulations. “Further, NBC has not reported that Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in an Oct. 16 letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey and FBI director Robert Mueller, ‘condemned’ the leak and asked whether the leak and ‘all other actions’ in the ACORN investigation ‘are consistent with the US Attorneys Manual … and, if not, what action has been taken in response.’” The Media Matters article noted that The Associated Press, in its coverage of the investigation, has reported that “Justice Department regulations forbid discussing ongoing investigations particularly so close to an election.” Rep. Conyers has continued to question the FBI’s actions over the ACORN matter.

Talking Points Memo first reported the leak of the investigation and noted it likely violated DOJ “guidelines about DOJ/FBI actions which can end up interfering with or manipulating an election.”

Full post as published by ACS Blog on October 22, 2008 (boomark / email).