Prosecutors: FBI agent leaked info in trading case to media

Federal prosecutors say an FBI agent has acknowledged divulging confidential information to reporters about the investigation into an alleged insider trading scheme.

The Las Vegas Review Journal (https://goo.gl/BE670m ) reports that prosecutors in New York told a federal judge by letter Friday that the unnamed agent confessed to be a source for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times regarding the case involving Las Vegas gambler William "Billy" Walters.

Walters had asked the judge to determine the source of the leaks and whether anyone should be punished.

The letter said the matter has been referred to oversight offices in the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI.

Walters has pleaded not guilty to charges he made millions of dollars in illicit stock trades.

The Securities and Exchange Commission accused pro golfer Phil Mickelson of making nearly $1 million in a 2012 stock trade suggested by Walters. Mickelson was spared criminal charges and agreed to repay the money.