Defense Secretary Hegseth announced a joint Defense-Justice Department task force to investigate and prosecute leaks to news media
On July 13, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint Department of Defense and Department of Justice task force to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information to news media. Hegseth delegated authority to the Defense Department's Office of General Counsel to request and receive all departmental records concerning media-leak investigations, and warned that those who leak would be met with "the full force of the law." Press-freedom advocates, including a New York Times attorney, condemned the effort as a threat to constitutionally protected newsgathering.
Actors
On July 13, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint Department of Defense and Department of Justice task force to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information to news media. Hegseth delegated tasking authority to the Defense Department's Office of General Counsel to request and receive all records across the department concerning media-leak investigations, and stated that those who leak would be met with "the full force of the law."
The announcement established a standing, formalized mechanism dedicated to pursuing leaks to journalists, drawing together the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the two departments. Coverage of the announcement noted that the effort was framed around disclosures made to reporters and news organizations.
Press-freedom advocates condemned the task force. David McCraw, an attorney for The New York Times, said that "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."
Why we recorded this
A free press depends on the ability of reporters to receive information from government sources without those exchanges being treated as crimes to be hunted down by a standing prosecutorial apparatus. A joint Defense Department and Justice Department task force created specifically to identify and prosecute disclosures to news media, paired with a public warning that leakers will face "the full force of the law," is designed to deter newsgathering by criminalizing the sources reporters rely on. This archive records the executive branch building dedicated machinery to pursue press leaks, an escalation that reaches beyond any single investigation to institutionalize pressure on the press.
Sources
- US creates task force to prosecute leaks to news media, Hegseth says — Military Times investigative accessed July 14, 2026
- Pentagon and Justice Dept. set up task force to investigate leaks — The Washington Post investigative accessed July 14, 2026
- Hegseth announces joint task force with DOJ to prosecute leaks to journalists 'with the full force of the law' — Fox News secondary accessed July 14, 2026
See also
- Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after columns criticizing its restrictions on the newspaper
- Pentagon forced out longtime Stars and Stripes publisher amid clash over editorial independence, USS Lincoln coverage
- Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes publisher, editor-in-chief, reporter for insubordination Slavin says was CBS News interview on Pentagon interference
- DOJ issued grand jury subpoenas compelling Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporters to testify about sources
- Justice Department subpoenaed four New York Times reporters over their Air Force One security reporting
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