Project Veritas hires its first lobbyist after FBI raids

• Federal prosecutors have not said who they believe stole the diary, and Project Veritas has denied any knowledge of illicit activity.
• "It appears journalism itself may now be on trial," O'Keefe wrote last month of the raids.
• Organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom of the Press Foundation have warned the FBI's conduct could set a dangerous precedent.

What's happening: Last month, Project Veritas retained Mark Paoletta, a former senior White House budget official and aide to Mike Pence, to brief members of Congress on the raids, according to disclosure filings posted over the weekend.

• Paoletta is "[i]nforming Members of Congress on the FBIs raid on media organization Project Veritas's founder, journalist James O'Keefe," according to his registration form.
• It's the first time Project Veritas has retained a federal lobbyist, records show.

• Neither O'Keefe nor Paoletta immediately responded to inquiries.

The backstory: Federal prosecutors are seeking information on the apparent theft of Ashley Biden's diary. Project Veritas has acknowledged receiving a copy of the diary late last year but did not publish anything based on its contents.

• Project Veritas has also said it was not involved in obtaining the diary.
• Another conservative website, the National File, later published photos of the diary's contents.