Reply #180: Not exactly

[anigbrowl]

Usually brackets (or braces here on DU) are used editorially to abridge a quotation without altering it substantively. In your OP the bits about bribery were editorial comment, about what you felt the likely implications were, which you added to the bit of the decision you quoted. It would have been better to just present the quote as written and then make your editorial comment about what might result in a separate sentence.

I don't think you were out to mislead but by confusing people over what was actually written you undermined your own argument.