Special counsel Robert Mueller's office warned in a statement that many reports about his investigation of the Trump campaign's ties to Russia are inaccurate.
The former FBI director has not commented directly on the widening probe, but his spokesman issued a rare public statement to the conservative Washington Times urging journalists to use caution when reporting on the investigation's inner workings.
"What I have been telling all reporters is that many stories about our investigation have been inaccurate," said spokesman Peter Carr in the statement. "Be very cautious about any source that claims to have knowledge about our investigation and dig deep into what they claim before reporting on it."
"If another outlet reports something, don't run with it unless you have your own sourcing to back it up," Carr added.
Carr has become modestly famous himself for his refusal to comment on the investigation, which has resulted in 19 indictments and five guilty pleas, including former national security adviser Mike Flynn and former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates.