US launches crackdown on media leaks, forms joint DOJ-Pentagon task force

The US Department of Justice and the Pentagon have established a joint task force aimed at identifying and prosecuting individuals responsible for the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive information to news organisations, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday.

In a video posted on X, Hegseth said he had granted new investigative authority to the Pentagon's legal office to support leak inquiries across the Department of Defense.

"I have delegated tasking authority to the War Department's Office of General Counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all information, records, and support across the department concerning media leak investigations," Hegseth said.

According to Hegseth, the newly created task force will bring together officials from the Justice Department and the Pentagon to coordinate investigations and pursue legal action against those found responsible for unauthorized disclosures.

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With inputs from agencies