No, they didn’t. They admitted to doing what commonly happens with interviews and commented that most people simply don’t expect it. They didn’t admit malfeasance. YOU made that accusation, again, without evidence.
Also an online comment doesn’t constitute journalism so I think I’m in the clear there.
But claiming something that didn’t happen, without evidence - as you keep doing - while accusing another of the same thing is certainly both unethical and hypocritical.
And I certainly didn’t accuse you of journalism. I accused you of slander/libel.