Top-tier sourcing by Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker led to exclusive reporting that the FBI had fired more than a dozen agents who kneeled during a racial justice protest in Washington, D.C.
Tucker, who has spent months covering the turmoil at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency, got a tip from a trusted source on Friday that the agents who were photographed kneeling were the latest wave of terminations. He quickly confirmed it with two other sources and raced to publish an alert and full story to the wire.
The protest occurred in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020 and had prompted widespread debate about law enforcement’s handling of racial justice issues. The firings, which had not previously been disclosed, added a new layer to the controversy surrounding political expression within the ranks of the federal government.
Judges lauded Tucker’s source-building on a highly competitive beat.
For an exclusive that put AP ahead on a major development, Eric Tucker wins this week’s second Best of the Week.
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