This sort of thing goes on every single day. It's not new at all.

Politics is not exactly a clean business.

It is not a new phenomenon.

It is not even a new technique for the specific group (James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas) organizing this instance, which has repeatedly and notoriously used similar false-flag techniques to attempt to discredit organizations that are (or are perceived by them to be) on the left side of the American political spectrum.

A major news organization choosing to publish off-the-record comments is itself a pretty significant event that I'm glad to find out about. It's a sign of extreme confidence in their story (and a lot of irritation at Project Veritas), because that's the sort of decision that, if mistaken, can lastingly cripple a publication.