Some questions on the article

I was reading an article by the JoongAng Ilbo, an English version, and have two sentences which I want to ask you about.

1. Moon Jae-in, the civil affairs senior secretary, tried to justify the omissions as protection of privacy.

Here can it be better if written like this?

Moon Jae-in, the civil affairs senior secretary, tried to justify the omissions as that relates to the principle of protection of privacy.

2. ... was forced to admit to journalists, ..., that "all the explanations until now are inoperative."

Here, can you use quotation marks to quote something that doesn't normally look like you are quoting but stating your opinion and not someone else's.