WASHINGTON - The Associated Press and other news organizations are asking a judge to force the federal government to reveal how much it paid for a tool to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

The news organizations said Monday there's no reason for the FBI to withhold information on the cost of the tool or the identity of the vendor that sold it.

The lawsuit seeks records about the FBI's contract with a third party for a tool that hacked into the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people. The suit was brought by the AP, Vice Media LLC and Gannett, the parent company of USA Today.

The Justice Department says the information could be exploited by "hostile entities" if released.