Federal Agents Avoid Slander Claim Over Tax Case Media Interview

FBI and IRS agents aren’t liable for slander for talking to the media about a husband and wife catering team who were convicted of not paying taxes on food they took from a local jail, the Fifth Circuit said.

The comments by FBI Agent Christopher Freeze and IRS Agent Jerome McDuffie were within the scope of their employment because media relations was in their job descriptions, and the U.S. was properly substituted as the real party in interest, the opinion by Judge Jerry E. Smith said.

Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Charles and Linda Bolton were therefore required to ...