Pentagon and Justice Department Launch Joint Taskforce to Prosecute National Security Leaks

The Pentagon and Department of Justice have created a joint taskforce designed to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information to media outlets. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the initiative, granting expanded investigative powers to the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel and marking a significant escalation in the Trump administration's approach to controlling government information flows.

Taskforce Authority and Scope

Hegseth delegated tasking authority to the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, empowering the office to request and receive all information, records, and support across the department concerning media leak investigations. In a statement posted on social media, Hegseth characterized leaked information as a threat to national security and personnel safety. He emphasized that access to classified and secret information represents "a sacred trust" and warned that individuals breaching that trust would "be met with the full force of the law."

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche supported the initiative, with Hegseth publicly thanking him for his collaboration on what he described as an "important project." The defense secretary noted that the two departments were now working together "closer than we have ever before," suggesting unprecedented coordination between the Pentagon and Justice Department on leak prosecution matters.

Recent Context and Targets

The taskforce announcement follows weekend action targeting journalists at major news organizations. The New York Times reported that the Trump administration issued subpoenas to several of its reporters after they published articles examining security concerns regarding a newly acquired presidential aircraft gifted by Qatar. The newspaper's reporting indicated the aircraft lacked certain advanced security features compared to the existing Air Force One, prompting the Secret Service to recommend using the older plane during a recent trip to Turkey.

Prior to publication of the initial story, an FBI official contacted Times reporters and editors requesting the article be withheld on national security grounds but did not provide specific details justifying the request. The subpoenas compel reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan, representing an effort to identify sources who provided information about the aircraft's security vulnerabilities to the newspaper.