Politico Interviews Former FBI Official Without Disclosing Right-Wing Ties

In Politico Interview, Ron Hosko Speculates About The Ongoing FBI Investigation Into Clinton's Email. Politico interviewed Ron Hosko for a report claiming that “the FBI has stepped up the inquiries” into Hillary Clinton's email. Hosko “said [the Department of] Justice is likely worried about issuing formal legal notices” to further the investigation "'because they know it will get out,'" suggesting that might result in “a grand jury investigation.” Hosko is identified in the article as “former assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigation Division,” but Politico failed to disclose that Hosko serves as the president of an organization with right-wing ties, the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF):

Due to secrecy surrounding any FBI investigation, it is impossible to know exactly where the FBI stands. And since the issue involves the 2016 Democratic front-runner, the work is even more sensitive.

Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigation Division, said Justice is likely worried about issuing formal legal notices “because they know it will get out, and then you're talking about a grand jury investigation.” But he said it's “not uncommon” for companies to require subpoenas, court orders or other legal notices to cooperate to save their corporate reputation, which could otherwise be jeopardized for sharing personal information.

“I am sure there is hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth across the street at the Hoover Building because you're going to have people saying 'I don't want to produce X documents. Give me a piece of paper that covers me.' And that's where push is going to come to shove,” Hosko said. [Politico, 11/10/15]

Hosko's Organization, The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, Is A Right-Wing Organization

Right Wing Watch: LELDF Uses Its Funds To “Prop Up Right-Wing Organizations To Which They Have Ties.” In a November 2008 article, Right Wing Watch cited a report by The Hartford Courant which found that most of the organization's funds went to leadership salaries and to “prop up” conservative groups including The American Spectator, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and the Federalist Society:

The Hartford Courant raises some interesting questions about just what the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund - a right-wing Virginia non-profit organization overseen by the likes of Ed Meese, William Bradford Reynolds, and Al Regnery - is doing with the funds it has been raising because it seems like most of it is going to toward fund-raising, salary for its leadership, and to prop up right-wing organizations to which they have ties, like The American Spectator, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and the Federalist Society. [Right Wing Watch, 11/25/08]

LELDF Board Of Directors Is Filled With Conservative Activists. LELDF board members include conservative publisher Alfred Regnery, Reagan-era attorney general Edwin Meese, Kenneth Blackwell, a conservative activist and former GOP candidate with ties to the NRA and Family Research Council, and former Virginia attorney general and Republican candidate for Virginia governor Ken Cuccinelli. [Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, accessed 10/16/15]

Media Have Repeatedly Cited Ron Hosko Without Disclosing His Conservative Ties

NY Times Report Claims Obama “Angered” FBI Agents, Citing Anonymous Sources And Well-Known Obama Critic. The New York Times cited former FBI senior official Ron Hosko alongside anonymous sources in an an article about supposed anger among FBI agents over President Obama's comments on Clinton's email server during an October 60 Minutes interview. Obama told 60 Minutes that he did not believe Clinton's private email server created “a situation in which America's national security was endangered.” The Times quoted Hosko accusing Obama of inappropriately commenting on an ongoing investigation, without explaining that the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF) that Hosko heads is a right-wing group:

Investigators have not reached any conclusions about whether the information on the server had been compromised or whether to recommend charges, according to the law enforcement officials. But to investigators, it sounded as if Mr. Obama had already decided the answers to their questions and cleared anyone involved of wrongdoing.

The White House quickly backed off the president's remarks and said Mr. Obama was not trying to influence the investigation. But his comments spread quickly, raising the ire of officials who saw an instance of the president trying to influence the outcome of a continuing investigation -- and not for the first time.

A spokesman for the FBI declined to comment. But Ron Hosko, a former senior FBI official who retired in 2014 and is now the president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, said it was inappropriate for the president to “suggest what side of the investigation he is on” when the FBI is still investigating.

“Injecting politics into what is supposed to be a fact-finding inquiry leaves a foul taste in the FBI's mouth and makes them fear that no matter what they find, the Justice Department will take the president's signal and not bring a case,” said Mr. Hosko, who maintains close contact with current agents. [The New York Times, 10/16/15]

Morning Joe Quotes “Former Assistant Director Of The FBI” Without Disclosing His Right-Wing Ties. MSNBC's Morning Joe failed to disclose the right-wing ties of Ron Hosko when pointing to his criticism of President Obama. In an October 16 report, The New York Times allowed retired FBI senior official Ron Hosko to criticize President Obama over his recent comments concerning the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server without explaining that Hosko is the president of a right-wing organization. On the October 19 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, host Mika Brzezinski quoted Hosko's criticism of Obama in the Times without disclosing that Hosko is the president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF), a right-wing organization whose funding has primarily gone to leadership salaries and to “prop[ping] up” conservative groups. From the October 19 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So now some investigators and former officials are saying the president's conclusion is trying to influence the outcome of the investigation. I think I heard that before The New York Times reports a comment sounded to agents as if the president has already decided the answers to their questions and cleared anyone of wrongdoing. A former assistant director of the FBI said, “injecting politics into what is supposed to be a fact-finding inquiry leaves a foul taste in the FBI's mouth and makes them fear that no matter what they find, the Justice Department will take the president's signal and not bring a case.” [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 10/19/15]

NPR Story On Clinton Emails Does Not Disclose Source's Right-Wing Ties. In an August 19 article, NPR quoted Ron Hosko, who was identified only as previously leading “the FBI's criminal investigative division,” on the government inquiry into classified emails. Hosko suggested that emails which were sent to Clinton -- and which have since been retroactively classified in an interagency dispute over classification levels -- might represent “serious breaches of national security”:

“I think that the FBI will be moving with all deliberate speed to determine whether there were serious breaches of national security here,” said Ron Hosko, who used to lead the FBI's criminal investigative division.

He said agents will direct their questions not just at Clinton, but also her close associates at the State Department and beyond.

“I would want to know how did this occur to begin with, who knew, who approved,” Hosko said. [NPR, 8/19/15]