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Did Media Matters, Justice Department cross legal lines?

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    Report: Left-wing group helped spin bad press

  • Duration 4:01
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This transcript is automatically generated

So yeah Fox News alert.

New documents raising questions about the Justice Department's and a left wing media group broker -- with -- everybody.

I'm generally I'm John Scott we are following new reports out just this morning.

The Justice Department employees turned to the left wing media site media matters.

To help -- some bad press that's been plaguing attorney general Eric Holder and the rest of his department.

The report by the conservative daily caller web side reveals internal Justice Department emails.

Showing staffers helping media matters target news outlets.

There were reporting on scandals ranging from operation fast and furious.

To the new Black Panther Party voting scandal.

Media matters bills itself as a media watchdog group -- spends much of its time and energy attacking Fox News.

Joining me now for more on this -- yeah.

Paula -- on Fox News senior judicial analyst is there any -- questionable -- -- morally wrong anything legally wrong.

With a government agency getting in touch with this website to try to spin.

The news cycle that that the general answer on legally is no however.

Media matters is a 501 C three tax exempt organization meaning -- people contribute to it.

That the money that they contribute is not taxable by the IRS and that limits what media matters can do.

For example -- cannot advocate for legislation and it cannot support.

Publicly that candidacy.

Of anyone running for office so they are coming close to the line.

By attempting to put spin on issues involving the Justice Department which may reach directly to the president -- -- I say it may reach directly to the president.

Because you will were called -- after attorney general holder agreed to turn over some documents.

To the house committee chaired by California congressman Darrell ice.

Involving fast and furious the president without notice and mysteriously in in my view without -- a basis for it.

Invoked executive privilege.

Which purported to shield from revealing all the documents that the attorney general was negotiating whether or not it was going to -- going to turn them over.

So if media matters and the Justice Department's collaboration.

Was intended to help them for the president make it look good that is really telling the line.

But it is also highly unusual John.

For the government to be so intimately involved with a group when these are not emails saying what does this mean what does that mean.

These are emails with serious direct interactive device questions being asked by Justice Department PR people and answers being given.

By the media matters folks.

It's a very -- usual that the government would go to such great an enormous lengths to try and put spin on the news particularly the news.

But something -- controversial and as we know deadly.

As fast and furious.

Well a couple of things we have reached out to the justice department for some comment on this officially they are not commenting about it -- no comment although.

They are essentially saying off the record that it's not a big deal.

You are one of the people that this.

The Justice Department was apparently quite interested in job.

Well I'm in good company John with a lot of our colleagues.

At fox -- news in in which the media matters folks offer.

To give to the Justice Department articles that they the media matters people.

Have written about some of us and our colleagues I don't know what those articles were given.

And I don't know what's in them but I do know.

That our fox colleagues who are listed in the -- up along with with my name.

Have been out front in -- criticizing the government for its reticence.

To reveal truthfully what happened.

With with fast and furious and that that's our job and we're not afraid to do our job we're not gonna shy away from.

Well -- that investigation goes on as well judge Andrew Napolitano our senior judicial analyst judge thank you play.

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