Defense, Justice departments to target press leaks
July 13 (UPI) -- Pete Hegseth, secretary of the U.S. Defense Department, announced Monday that the Pentagon will team up with the Justice Department to "identify and prosecute" those leaking information to the press.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said he has delegated tasking authority to the department's office of general counsel, empowering it to "request and receive all information, records and support across the department concerning media leak investigations."
"Leaked information risks lives; these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force," Hegseth said. He thanked acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for "his help in this important project."
The task force announcement comes after the Trump administration issued subpoenas this weekend to New York Times journalists, demanding they testify in front of a federal grand jury "in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law." The Times reported last week, using anonymous sources, about security concerns involving President Donald Trump's new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar.
Representatives from the Times also said a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and senior editor before the story ran, wanting the article to be withheld and asking for the names of sources.
A top newsroom lawyer for the Times said the 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."
"This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs," lawyer David McCraw said.
Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said in response to the Times that reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are."
Earlier in 2026, the Justice Department also issued subpoenas to journalists at The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. It withdrew them after the news organizations challenged the attempt. Federal agents also raided the home of a Washington Post reporter in January in connection with a government contractor's handling of classified information.
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 1:47 PM.