Representative Gaetz: Evidence That FBI Agents Were Paid Off by the Media For Leaks Will Surface Ahead of the Official DOJ Inspector General Report

Rep. Matt Gaetz says evidence of FBI officials improperly receiving incentives from the media in exchange for leaks will soon come out. 

During an interview on Fox News late Saturday, the Florida Republican said the Justice Department inspector general is examining the FBI's relationship with some members of the press. 

But, he said some of this information will be made public before the watchdog report's release. 

"One of the other nuggets that the inspector general is working on is the corruption that existed between the media and members of of the FBI," Gaetz said. 

"Where members of the mainstream media were giving concert passes and athletic tickets and other incentives to people in the FBI to leak to them so we'll be seeing that even before we see the inspector general's report on how this fraudulent investigation began." 

The Washington Examiner notes that some of this has already been reported: 

The DOJ inspector general released a report last summer that found many FBI officials talking to the press and attending "social events" with the media during the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private emails, breaking with FBI policy limiting employees who are authorized to speak to the media. 

In October, the inspector general released more information in a summary that said a senior FBI official, who had since retired, accepted tickets to a sports event from a television reporter who regularly covered the bureau.