Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the Pentagon and the US Department of Justice have created a joint taskforce to identify and prosecute the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to the press. He said he had delegated tasking authority to the war department’s office of general counsel effective immediately.
The taskforce is aimed at media leak investigations across the department. Hegseth said the office of general counsel is empowered to request and receive all information, records and support across the department concerning those cases.
Hegseth and Todd Blanche
Hegseth said the effort would “combat the dangers that leaks pose” and thanked acting US attorney general Todd Blanche “for his help in this important project.” He also said he was “proud that our departments are working together closer than we have ever before.”
In remarks posted on X, Hegseth said, “Leaked information risks lives, these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force.” He added that “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.”
subpoenas
The announcement followed a weekend dispute involving. The newspaper said the Trump administration issued subpoenas to several of its journalists after they reported on security concerns regarding Donald Trump’s new Qatari-gifted plane. It said its reporters were issued subpoenas seeking to compel them to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan this week.
According to, a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and senior editor before its first story was published and asked for the article to be withheld, calling it an issue of national security. The official also requested that the newspaper disclose its sources, and refused.
Justice Department and Manhattan
A justice department spokesperson told on Saturday that the reporters are not the targets and that those leaking classified information are. The spokesperson said the DOJ plays an important role in making sure that people entrusted with the nation’s secrets do what they are supposed to do with that information.
David McCraw condemned the subpoenas in a statement, saying the appearance of federal law enforcement agents on reporters’ doorsteps “should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.” The Washington DC-based National Press Club said the subpoenas “should alarm every American because it threatens the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.”
The practical effect is sharper pressure on leak cases tied to reporting, with the office of general counsel now able to gather information, records and support across the department. Which specific leaks the taskforce will examine was not stated.
