IC Oversight & Policy — 2026-07-13

DOJ and Pentagon Create Joint Task Force to Prosecute Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information to News Media

BLUFCentralizing leak-referral authority in the War Department's counsel office signals a deterrence campaign more than a prosecution pipeline, with a public case unlikely within eighteen months absent intercepted communications or a confession.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures of classified information to news media 123. Hegseth said he delegated tasking authority to the War Department's Office of General Counsel, which he said can now request and receive all department records and support related to media leak investigations 1. In a video posted to social media, Hegseth said "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" 14. The announcement follows an April episode in which President Trump said the administration was searching for the source of a media leak concerning a missing airman from a downed F-15E fighter jet over Iran and threatened to jail journalists involved 1.

Analysis
Hegseth's task force centralizes subpoena and referral authority in the War Department's Office of General Counsel rather than building new investigative capacity, though the Pedicini UCMJ sentencing shows the military-venue prosecution route that authority now opens for uniformed leakers. A public arrest, indictment, or referral is unlikely by mid-January 2027, since leak cases typically stall absent a confessed source or intercepted communication tying an official to a disclosure. Confidence is moderate, reflecting that Reuters and Military Times carry near-identical wire language corroborating the announcement's mechanics, with the Hill and Daily Beast adding framing, but none confirm active case or grand jury activity. The push may function mainly as deterrence signaling against future leakers and reporters rather than genuine capability expansion. A publicized prosecution would validate OGC's authority and likely chill national-security reporting, while continued silence would mark the effort as largely symbolic.
4 sources
  1. US creates task force to prosecute leaks to news media, Hegseth says - Military Times
  2. US creates task force to prosecute leaks to news media, Hegseth says - Reuters
  3. Pete Hegseth launches joint task force to crack down on information leaks - The Hill
  4. Pentagon Pete Orders Sinister 'Taskforce' After Embarrassing Leaks - The Daily Beast

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