Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for leaking sensitive information, advancing the administration’s efforts to curb unauthorized disclosures.
Hegseth stated that the Defense Department’s Office of General Counsel will now have expanded authority to request records, information, and support from across the Pentagon for leak investigations, including those involving the news media. All Pentagon components and personnel must prioritize such requests, with a requirement for full and complete responses within two days.
“Leaked information risks lives. These new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force,” Hegseth said in a video statement posted on X. “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 task force announcement follows recent Justice Department subpoenas issued to four New York Times reporters. The subpoenas seek their testimony before a federal grand jury in Manhattan regarding the newspaper’s reporting on security concerns tied to President Trump’s use of a Qatari-donated aircraft for travel to the NATO summit in Turkey.
The subpoenas have drawn criticism from The New York Times and press freedom advocates, who contend the moves represent an attempt to intimidate news organizations. Times attorney David McCraw said in a statement that the paper’s 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.” He described the action as an effort to prevent public awareness by targeting journalists.
Since assuming leadership of the Pentagon, Hegseth has emphasized preventing unauthorized disclosures to the media. Last year, the department launched investigations into personnel accused of leaking classified information and indicated that polygraph examinations could be employed. Several senior aides, including former senior adviser Dan Caldwell and former deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, were among those scrutinized. They, along with Colin Carroll, former chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen A. Feinberg, were placed on administrative leave and later dismissed during the probe.
An administration official later informed The Hill that investigators found no evidence Caldwell had leaked Pentagon information. Caldwell was subsequently hired by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence earlier this year.
The new task force reflects a continued focus on safeguarding classified information while balancing national security imperatives with ongoing tensions between the administration and elements of the press.
