Investigative reporters Jim Mustian, Eric Tucker and Michael Biesecker paired public records with deep source development to deliver a major accountability scoop revealing an undisclosed “VIP snorkel” session by FBI Director Kash Patel at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.
Sparked by a tip, Mustian aggressively blanketed local, state and federal agencies with public records requests, ultimately securing internal email chains that detailed the itinerary. Biesecker reinforced the scoop by analyzing flight data to map a two-day stopover, while Tucker worked federal law enforcement beats to confirm the excursion and uncover growing internal concerns about the blending of official travel with leisure. By contacting veterans and victims’ families, the team contextualized the profound sensitivity of recreating in a military cemetery. Under the editing of Del Wilber, the exclusive report became a massive national story and prompted widespread congressional criticism.
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