FBI continues to investigate Michael Hastings for 'controversial reporting'

Most certainly Everyone knew that the FBI was lying when they denied that Michael Hastings was under investigation. The proof has now been published. In an article released by Al-Jazeera and written by Jason Leopold, a FOI Request was first sent to the FBI asking for a release of records. When that request was refused, Ryan Shapiro, a doctoral candidate at MIT in addition to Al-Jazeera, filed suit against the FBI for the release of those records.

The documents state that Michael Hastings was being investigated for "Controversial Reporting", which basically breaks down to the methods and practices he was using to gain information.

It also goes on to state that some of the information has been labeled as "Secret" because of the impending investigation into the crash that took Michael Hastings' life.

Furthermore, the FBI opened a file on June 11, 2013 and submitted "Unclassified Media Articles" to it in order to memorialize controversial reporting by Rolling Stone magazine.

The FBI released a heavily redacted document on Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings, Monday, which revealed the law-enforcement agency is continuing to investigate what it characterized as "controversial reporting" by the journalist, who died in a late-night car crash in Los Angeles in June.

The FBI turned over the three-page document to Al-Jazeera and Ryan Shapiro, a doctoral candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in FOIA research, in response to a joint-Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the agency.

********************MAKE NOTE********************
This article by no means "Proves" that Michael Hastings was murdered by the FBI.

Al-Jazeera FOI Request Released

Contributed by WanDash who's Continuing Investigation is posted HERE

ShadellacZumbrum
...The documents states that Michael Hastings was being investigated for "Controversial Reporting", which basically breaks down to the methods and practices he was using to gain information.
...It also goes on to state that some of the information has been labeled as "Secret" because of the impending investigation into the crash that took Michael Hastings' life.
...

I saw that, not only was the information labeled "Secret"...but, in some manner, "The Army" has attached it's authority to said secrecy.
I found it interesting that what purportedly inspired this need to investigate, had to do with one of our military personnel being taken captive...and the story that ensued therefrom.
And, likewise, that it wasn't even Michael Hastings that was the initial reporter...but rather - Mr. Farwell (who also works for Rolling Stone magazine)...
Thanks for the info Shadellac'!

By the way... If a citizen "LIES" to the FBI...what are the consequences?
Okay -- Well...If the FBI "LIES" to the citizenry...what are the consequences?

reply to post by WanDash


Heaven forbid the tenth Buddha hits the scene.

A tangerine dream, if you know what I mean.

And the lights do flicker on the show.

'cause what the fbi don't know, the fbi don't know.

ezekielken
reply to post by WanDash

 

Heaven forbid the tenth Buddha hits the scene.
...A tangerine dream, if you know what I mean.
...And the lights do flicker on the show.
...'cause what the fbi don't know, the fbi don't know.

Wish I could stay with you on this...because I'm sure you've encoded something significant...
But - since I'm not on the same plateau...I'll just say that I hear a bird singing, as if I'm s'posed to know, but can't catch the drift...as it goes...as it goes
Honestly, though - I love the prose!

reply to post by WanDash

Well...If the FBI "LIES" to the citizenry...what are the consequences?

Unfortunately, we get the 'ol "National Security" jargon run down our throat. It is something that they will never have to be accountable for, right alongside their other accolades.

One thing that did leave me wondering ..

On page one there is quote from someone who’s name was blanked out that says, “If this deployment is lame, I’m just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan.” That, is the sight of a somewhat demented mind considering the end result of that decision would amount to suicide by some murderous, scurvy-ridden, low down and dirty sons-a-britches.

reply to post by ShadellacZumbrum

Well, of-course they're going to continue.

The government has to examine all his drives, documents, records, friends, family etc., so they can prevent the release of more criminal government activity, I mean uncover possible clues about his strange death....

*rolls eyes*

ShadellacZumbrum
The documents state that Michael Hastings was being investigated for "Controversial Reporting", which basically breaks down to the methods and practices he was using to gain information.

Like what, exactly, I wonder?

reply to post by darkbake


I have been trying to find that answer this morning, however, there is No real answer.

After scouring many articles, I have found this. .. . .

Transparency supporters, whistleblowers, and investigative reporters, especially those writers who have aggressively pursued the connections between the corporate defense industry and federal and local authorities involved in domestic surveillance, have been viciously attacked by the Obama administration and its allies in the FBI and DOJ.

Hastings Journalism Practices

What I gather from that is that the Obama Administration does not like journalists who inform the people, so, they are cracking down on the Truth Seekers.

ShadellacZumbrum
...One thing that did leave me wondering ..
...On page one there is quote from someone who’s name was blanked out that says, “If this deployment is lame, I’m just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan.” That, is the sight of a somewhat demented mind considering the end result of that decision would amount to suicide by some murderous, scurvy-ridden, low down and dirty sons-a-britches.

Well - becoming a prisoner of war can do all kind/s of stuff to you. Like - make you question (more so than before) "Why am I even here? Who sent me? Why did they send me? Am I really just cannon fodder to them? Was there any good reason for me to be over here, in the first place? If I survive this, and find that those running my country cared no more for me, than to send me into war...for no better reason than oil, money, greed &/or ego...why would I want to go back...?"
That is what I inferred from the "message".

ETA: Looks like my powers of perception have been up-ended again...as JBA2848 found some interesting info on the subject (Bergdahl), posted here.
May have been a 'runaway'...'deserter'...'whatever'... I haven't watched the vid' yet, so can't give more detail/s.


ETA2: Okay - after watching the vid' - looks like Bergdahl is/was a prisoner of war. No time frames were given in the video (to judge when or how long), but - it appears that The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was/is attempting to offer his release...in exchange for the release of "a limited number" of their PoWs.

I'm going to post the video that JBA2848 posted on the other thread (as identified above), as I believe it is entirely relevant to this discussion...


If, after reading through the "heavily redacted" document...you wonder "why is this guy/matter so important to the FBI & Army?"...join the club.

Note that they state that the story (and the lines regarding 'ashamed of being American' and 'if...lame...will just walk off into the mountains of Pakistan') ignited a media frenzy.

Really?
Do you think they care?

I don't.

What do they say, otherwise...?
"...attached articles are submitted to the file to memorialize controversial reporting by Rolling Stone magazine..."

Hmmm... Do we have a long-term agenda, here, of justification for going after...then, shutting down, Rolling Stone magazine?
Perhaps the most credible voice/publication of dissent (or - alternative views) remaining in the USofA?

Remember "Firestarter"?
Where did they choose to take their story...knowing the government & military might shut down any and every other source they took it to...?

reply to post by WanDash


I watched that video several times. It is somewhat disturbing.

He has definitely suffered from sleep deprivation in addition to possibly some other brain washing techniques.

I did notice that when he repeated himself he did not even realize that he did so. In addition to that, I think the answers were canned.

I was trying to make a connection and started to wonder IF,. ..

when a journalist is attached to a unit, are there any contractual requirements that must be met by the journalist being attached?

If so, are said journalists privy to "Secret" Classified information?

Another thing I question is. .. .. If the FBI did in fact establish a link between Bowe Bergdahl and Michael Hastings, it would have had to happen long before June 7th, which also means that the file created by the FBI, on Michael Hastings would have been given life long before then as well.

ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by WanDash

 

...I was trying to make a connection and started to wonder IF,. ..
...when a journalist is attached to a unit, are there any contractual requirements that must be met by the journalist being attached?
...If so, are said journalists privy to "Secret" Classified information?
...Another thing I question is. .. .. If the FBI did in fact establish a link between Bowe Bergdahl and Michael Hastings, it would have had to happen long before June 7th, which also means that the file created by the FBI, on Michael Hastings would have be given life long before then as well.

It seems (from a Hollywood Reporter article) that the FBI is holding to their story that Michael Hastings was never under investigation...and that this "file" (which, if you note - the "file name" was redacted) pertained to "something else"...wherein Michael Hastings' name was simply "collaterally" implicated/referenced.

Likewise - the original Al Jazeera America article stated that the FBI had "pulled" the initial/original suspicious information/reporting from an Idaho newspaper...with the named source, being the father of the Rolling Stone magazine reporter who is supposed to be finishing Michael Hastings' last piece (regarding CIA Director - John Brennan).

I believe you are correct in thinking the FBI was interested well before June 7th, 2012... I, likewise, think it possible that they (at the behest of any number of military-or-other influences) could have been looking for any opportunity to "find" ANYTHING on Hastings...because of the boat-rocking he'd already been involved with... And - taking down Rolling Stone'...would kill two birds with one stone.
That is merely a hypothesis...inspired by some frustration...

So who told Hastings to wait on his story until after the POW biker event?

www.documentcloud.org...

the story until after the Rolling Thunder Event,scheduled for May 25-27,2012

Page 7 of the story is pretty damning.
www.rollingstone.com...

And he did wait until JUNE 7, 2012 8:00 AM ET to publish it.

Rolling Thunder even had the parents with them on May 27.

www.prnewswire.com... w-sgt-bowe-bergdahl-may-25-27-2012-in-washington-dc-150023765.html

Rolling Thunder®, Inc. Marks 25th Anniversary of Memorial Day Demonstration Events With Parents of Afghanistan POW Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl May 25-27, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

Were they avoiding bad press on not helping a POW? Or is there even more to the story? I wonder if he has a Twitter feed that would shed light on this?

reply to post by WanDash

it wasn't even Michael Hastings that was the initial reporter...but rather - Mr. Farwell (who also works for Rolling Stone magazine)

Farwell, who according to Hastings' widow Elise Jordan was finishing Michael's story on CIA director John Brennan. This story was supposed to be published about 3 weeks ago (according to Jordan) !!!

Matt Farwell, who often worked with Hastings as his writing partner and who is finishing Hastings’s final story for Rolling Stone

Source
ATS link


"There will be published his profile of John Brennan in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone, uhm, probably in a couple of weeks" (Elise Jordan, beginning of August on CNN to Piers Morgan)

ATS link


And to come full circle once more: The headline "FBI continues to investigate Hastings for 'controversial reporting' " perfectly fits in with Hasting's last email (as made public by Biggs):

From: Michael Hastings
Date: Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Subject: FBI investigations, re: NSA

'Hey... ...the Feds are interviewing my "close friends and associates." Perhaps if the authorities
arrive "BuzzFeed GQ, er HQ, may be wise to immediately request legal counsel before any conversations or interviews about our news-gathering practices or related journalism issues.

Also: I'm on a big story, and need to go off the radar for a bit.

All the best, and hope to see you all soon.

Which leads me to believe that the Hastings/Farwell story on CIA dir. John Brennan is being held back by 'controversial reporting'/"news-gathering practices or related journalism issues". That at least is the mechanism by which I think its being held back or delayed.

The reason of course is what may have led to Michael Hasting's disappearence in the first place and my money (IF it was foul play) is on a connection to Snowden's NSA revelations, Barrett Brown, Project PM, etc...

Connections Between Michael Hastings, Edward Snowden and Barrett Brown—The War With the Security State

ATS link

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex

story on CIA dir. John Brennan is being held back

Is it possible that the story is being held back by a change in information?
Maybe they are having a hard time verifying information that was written into the story because Hastings had a different source that no one knows.

Also, since Elise Jordan does not work for Rolling Stone I might find it hard to believe that she knows exactly how and when they are going to do anything.

It is also possible that they indicated to her that they were going to publish the story soon, and then it is also possible that they may be waiting for the smoke to clear.

Double Post .. .?

How the hell did that happen . . a Half-Hour apart?

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex


Farwell is a DOD propaganda writer. And I will use his own words to show you.

atwar.blogs.nytimes.com...

Or the staff sergeant from my former battalion — Second Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, Third Brigade, Tenth Mountain Division — who committed suicide by cop on Fort Drum later that year when military police were called to investigate a domestic disturbance? I didn’t know him that well and had already left Fort Drum for a cushy assignment as an assistant in a four-star general’s headquarters, but I wrote the eulogy my old company commander delivered at his funeral.

The four-star general was General McCyrstal. And he still had to do his old job of writing eulogy for his old commander. That is the job of the official DOD base writer. And if he went to work for McCrystal it would have to be propaganda writing. Then comes Hastings to do reports about how the propaganda writing was helping the USDOD in Afghanistan. But instead he starts the attack on the USDOD over propaganda being used on US Politicians and the disrespect for the US civilian leadership.

Matt Farwell stinks.

Even the suicide by cop does not make since. Why would somebody disarm two MPs and handcuff them and then wait for two more MPs to do a suicide by cop? Sounds like he might have been leaking information or doing some thing they wanted stopped. And when the MPs came he disarmed them and handcuffed them so he could finish what he wanted to do. The second MPs shot him and killed him so you will never get a straight answer. And a US Senator even honored him as a killed in combat veteran? Is there some thing they know about his death that says he was killed in combat in New York? Is New York a combat zone?

reply to post by JBA2848



Interesting. Can't say I was really holding my breath for this story to be as explosive as Mike's car now that it is not being written by Hastings himself. Based on your post though it's practically a given it will be at best a bland portrait, revealing nothing whatsoever and at worst painting Brennan a hero.

I have been wondering if Hastings' interview with Barrett Brown that was scheduled for late June was also part of his research for the Brennan story.

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex

I don't know enough about Farwell to even try to pass a judgment, here...
So - I'll go back to what intrigues me about this FOIA document.
The FBI is saying that Hastings was not the object of the investigation that included this FOIA document.
The FBI says that Hastings was never the object of an investigation...by said agency...and, neither were any requests for electronic surveillance found related to him.
Yet - the one ("heavily redacted") document they've released...that purportedly only peripherally relates to him...is supposedly in their files FOR PRECISELY THE SAME REASON that his email to associates claimed that the FBI (Feds) were investigating him...being - "controversial reporting" practices (or - to be honest - sources & sourcing).
Aren't the odds of him using almost the same language as the FBI (in their only peripherally related investigation)...a year later...and being wrong about the rest of his suspicion...kind of...difficult to swallow?

ShadellacZumbrum
...Elise Jordan does not work for Rolling Stone...
...
It is...possible that they indicated to her that they were going to publish the story soon, and then it is also possible that they may be waiting for the smoke to clear.

Those are pretty close to my guesses, as well.
And now, with the released redacted document tipping the gov's hand...with regard to an interest in bringing Rolling Stone' into line (like the rest of the MSM)...they may be crossing a few more t's and dotting a few more i's than before.

You wouldn't have any clue "what" was supposedly "questionable" or "controversial" about the Hastings' article regarding Bowe Bergdahl...attaining information from "emails"...would you?
It seemed that the emails...had a fairly legitimate source...being a very interested party...being...Bergdahl's parents...