I'm not sure that it was their intent to force a disclosure from...

I'm not sure that it was their intent to force a disclosure from FWL. I suspect they are just genuinely excited about the prospects of a deal and they feel they've got it in the bag.

I guess also that they dont have much understanding of continuous disclosure requirements (and the impact an indiscrete comment to a reporter might have).

Disclosure to the press may have been a breach of confidentiality. Would be interesting to know if it had any impact on the negotiations (much of which is about establishing mutual trust).