The Department of Justice (DOJ) has collaborated with the progressive media-monitoring group Media Matters for America to counter negative coverage of the Department, according to the Daily Caller.
The emails obtained by the Caller through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show extensive communication between Office of Public Affairs Director Tracy Schmaler and Media Matters staffers concerning multiple developing stories over several years.
The Caller report analyzed several different email conversations, showing that the DOJ and Media Matters collaborated on countering coverage of the "New Black Panther Party voter intimidation scandal," the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal, and possibly coverage of the Trayvon Martin slaying. The analysis shows rapid, real-time communication between Media Matters and Schmaler while stories were being reported by FOX News.
The Caller’s analysis also indicates that the DOJ and Media Matters cooperated on an article attacking House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), with the article "Rep. Issa Ties Himself In Fast And Furious Knots" appearing soon after their email conversation.