Internal Department of Justice emails obtained by The Daily Caller show  Attorney General Eric Holder’s communications staff has collaborated with the  left-wing advocacy group Media Matters for America in an attempt to quell news  stories about scandals plaguing Holder and America’s top law enforcement  agency.

Dozens of pages of emails between DOJ Office  of Public Affairs Director Tracy Schmaler and Media Matters staffers show  Schmaler, Holder’s top press defender, working with Media Matters to attack  reporters covering DOJ scandals. TheDC obtained the emails through a Freedom of  Information Act request. (RELATED:  TheDC’s complete coverage of Media Matters)

Emails sent in September and November 2010 show Schmaler working with Media  Matters staffer Jeremy Holden on attacking news coverage of the New Black  Panther Party voter intimidation scandal.

Holden attacked former DOJ Civil Rights Division attorneys J. Christian Adams  and Hans von Spakovsky on Sept. 20, 2010 for what he called an attempt “to  reignite the phony New Black Panther Party scandal.”

Before Holden posted his article at 7:52 p.m., Schmaler  sent him several emails with information helping him attack both former DOJ  oficials.

“Here’s one Wolf letter,” read the subject of one email Schmaler sent Holden  that contained no text. The email was likely a reference to Virginia Republican  Rep. Frank Wolf, a member of Congress who led the Republican charge on the New  Black Panther Party scandal involving alleged voter intimidation at a November  2008 polling place in Philadelphia.

In response, Holden told Schmaler that “The response to interog 38 is  particularly helpful. Thanks!”

Interrogatory 38 was a reference to a question from Congress that the Justice  Department answered, concerning the role of several senior officials in  discussing litigation related to that voter intimidation case.

A follow-up email shows Schmaler sending Holden more information.

“[H]ere’s another one to Smith,” Schmaler wrote. “[I]t’s about perrelli  contact with w. WH. helpful in that it makes clear perrelli didn’t have  discussions w/ WH on the case (obviously confirming he knew of it) … but also  illustrates [REDACTED] they’ve tried to throw up that won’t stick[.]”

Holden responded at 8:34 p.m. — three hours after Schmaler sent her first  email at 5:34 — to say, “Post is live, FWIW [for what it's worth]. Thanks  again.”

Nearly two months later, on Nov. 18, 2010, Holden wrote a new blog post he described as an “EXCLUSIVE,” titled “Right-wing commission to vote on flawed New Black Panthers  report.”

“The conservative-dominated U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will vote Friday  on an interim report that omits critical evidence disproving allegations that  the Obama administration refuses to enforce voting-rights laws against racial  minorities, according to Media Matters’ analysis of a copy of the report we  obtained,” Holden wrote in the Nov. 18 article.

Holden attacked Adams again, and Christopher Coates — another now-former DOJ  attorney.

After Holden published that piece, Schmaler sent him an email titled “Great  piece…” and continuing in the body of the message, “On USCCR investigation.’” One minute later, Holden responded, writing, “Thanks!”

At 9:50 a.m. on July 8, 2011, Media Matters’ Matt Gertz wrote to Schmaler  asking for her help “debunking what I think is a conservative media myth about  Operation Fast and Furious.”

Gertz told Schmaler that “Xochitl directed me to you as the person to talk  to.” Gertz was referring to Xochitl Hinojosa, a DOJ spokeswoman and former Media  Matters staffer.

(there's much more at the link below)