Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Defense Department is forming a joint task force with the Department of Justice aimed at identifying and prosecuting officials accused of leaking “sensitive information” to the press.
Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel, or OGC, has been authorized to seek and obtain information, assistance and records from across the department related to investigations into media leaks.
“To combat the dangers that leaks pose, effectively immediately, I have delegated tasking authority to the war department’s office of general counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all information, records and support across the department concerning media leak investigations,” he said in a video posted on X.
“Leaked information risks lives, these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force,” Hegseth added. “The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines, access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust will be met with the full force of the law.”
The secretary also expressed appreciation to Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche for his backing, saying he was “proud that our departments are working together closer than we have ever before.”
The move follows the DOJ’s recent decision to issue subpoenas to four New York Times reporters, seeking to compel their testimony before a federal grand jury after the paper reported on security concerns surrounding a plane gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar, which he used to travel to Turkey for a recent NATO summit.
The subpoenas drew sharp criticism from The New York Times, journalists across multiple outlets and press freedom organizations, who argued that the Trump administration is trying to pressure reporters engaged in lawful newsgathering on matters involving the government.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, an attorney for the newspaper, said in a statement.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw added. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
Since taking over as head of the Pentagon last year, Hegseth has sought to crack down on leaks to the media.
Last year, the department opened investigations into those accused of leaking classified information to the press and threatened to conduct polygraphs to identify leakers.
Hegseth has also attempted to impose restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon. He had forced them to sign a pledge stating that they would not solicit any unauthorized material, even if the information was unclassified. Most Pentagon reporters turned in their press badges rather than accept the department’s restrictions on news-gathering.
That policy is facing lawsuits, and a judge last month granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that the department’s requirement that journalists be accompanied by an official chaperone at all times violated the First Amendment in response to a case brought by The New York Times.
