Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice have created a joint task force to identify and seek prosecution of officials who disclose sensitive defense information to journalists.
- Hegseth delegated tasking authority to the Defense Department Office of General Counsel, allowing it to request records department-wide and ordering a 48‑hour turnaround for responses tied to leak investigations.
- The announcement follows grand‑jury subpoenas issued to New York Times reporters over reporting about security concerns with the Qatari‑donated Air Force One, and it comes after earlier subpoenas and at least one reporter’s home search in prior leak probes.
- Journalists and lawmakers immediately criticized the move and pointed to the Pentagon Inspector General’s 2025 finding that Hegseth shared nonpublic strike details on an unsecured Signal chat, which critics say raises charges of hypocrisy.
- Officials say prosecutors will still need to meet legal standards to bring charges and that the task force targets leakers not reporters, but news organizations warn the step could chill reporting and is likely to prompt court fights and congressional oversight.