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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice have established a joint task force to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for leaking sensitive and classified information.
The announcement follows the Justice Department’s decision last week to subpoena four New York Times reporters as part of an investigation into the source of a report concerning security issues involving President Donald Trump’s Qatari-donated aircraft.
Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel will have access to information, records and other support related to media leak investigations and directed Defense Department offices to prioritize those requests.
According to Hegseth, offices receiving requests from the Office of General Counsel must respond within two days.
“Leaked information risks lives. These new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force. The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X. “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 new task force comes after Hegseth faced criticism last year for discussing sensitive military information in a Signal group chat that inadvertently included an editor from The Atlantic. The conversation involved planned U.S. military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The initiative also follows other changes Hegseth has made to Pentagon media access.
Last month, the Defense Department restricted reporters’ access to the Pentagon press office after redesignating the space for classified use, allowing speechwriters to use the area for private work.
The Pentagon said reporters can continue to request interviews with the Pentagon press secretary and the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs by appointment.