Independent journalist Marcy Wheeler, who blogs at her own website EmptyWheel.net, revealed in July 3 blogpost that she provided information about a source to the FBI. The source sent her a message on Nov. 9, 2016, claiming Michael Flynn was “speaking to Team Al-Assad.”
Wheeler explained, “Sometime last year, I went to the FBI and provided information on a person whom I had come to believe had played a significant role in the Russian election attack on the US. Since that time, a number of public events have made it clear I was correct.”
Wheeler, who specializes in national security and civil liberties issues, wrote that she did so because she had “concrete evidence he was lying to me and others” and he was “testing ways to tamper with my website.” She explained: “To protect the investigation, I will not disclose this person’s true identity or the identity and/or role I believe he played in the attack. Nor will I disclose when I went to the FBI. I did so on my own, without subpoena; I did that in an effort to protect people who have spoken to me in confidence and other journalists.”
Wheeler continued that she partially was writing about it to protect herself and also to inform people what is going on, noting she doesn’t “like Donald Trump — though I’m not a Hillary fan, either.”
iMediaEthics has written to Wheeler to ask what sort of reaction she has seen to her disclosure.
Hat Tip: Washington Post
UPDATED: 7/16/2018 1:34 PM EST