Acclaimed journalist Michael Hastings died in a car crash on Tuesday at the age of 33. Conspiracy theorists suggested that he may have been targeted by the government, but the FBI has said that it was not investigating the Rolling Stone and BuzzFeed contributor. The Los Angeles Police Department has also said that it does not suspect foul play.
In a statement to the Burlington Free Press and other media outlets, L.A. Field Office spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said that, “At no time was journalist Michael Hastings ever under investigation by the FBI.”
According to The Los Angeles Times, the LAPD does not suspect foul play, but the investigation is still ongoing. Sources for the LA Times say that they are still looking into the possibility that Hastings’ car had a mechanical problem, if he had a medical condition or if he consumed anything before taking the wheel.
Sources say that the car appears to be going at a high speed. A video shows the car being engulfed in flames.
Hastings was best known for writing a 2010 Rolling Stone piece that ultimately lead to the downfall of General Stanley McChrystal. The LA Times reports that he was investigating a privacy lawsuit filed against the Defense Department and the FBI by Florida socialite Jill Kelley, the woman who reported that she had a emails between David Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell. The scandal ended with Petraeus resigning from his post as CIA director and Kelley claims that the FBI tried to discredit her.