U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, taking up an issue that has infuriated Republican President Donald Trump, went on the attack against leaks on Friday, warning of a possible crackdown both on reporters and their sources inside the federal government.
In a move derided by critics as an attack on the free press, Sessions said the administration was reviewing policies on forcing journalists to reveal their sources.
It is, however, difficult to prosecute members of the news media in the United States for publishing leaked information.
According to Reuters, Sessions also told the employees of government agencies to stop leaking and called the issue a matter of national security.
Trump has repeatedly voiced anger over a steady stream of leaks to the media about him and his administration since he took office in January.
Some have been related to probes into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election; others have concerned infighting in the White House.
"One of the things we are doing is reviewing policies affecting media subpoenas," Sessions told reporters as he announced administration efforts to battle what he called a "staggering number of leaks undermining the ability of our government to protect this country."
"We respect the important role that the press plays and will give them respect, but it is not unlimited," the nation's top law official said.
His boss, Trump, has repeatedly criticized news outlets and their work as "fake news," and administration officials have criticized the use of anonymous sources, a standard journalistic practice.
Read More Now
No comments:
Post a Comment