"with a harsh political bent" she sounds like she felt that they personally inconvenienced her....she trampled on the truth and got rebuffed...so solly!!!!
Yes, maybe they had a motive... but the execise was platonic, it did not start via agaenda other than the motive of revealing and seeking truth...
Here is a good metaphor, ironically, from a film about the newsbusiness, Mary... "I am mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore" (anyone old enough to remember this film...LOL)
Someone else said it best...
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance"
people saw and made the best catch hands down.