Trump Administration Opens Leak Investigations

The Trump administration has opened its first known investigations into what it called “politically motivated leaks,” fulfilling promises to pursue the sources of stories involving national security revelations.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, announced the investigations in a statement on Friday. Among the accusations, she said The Washington Post had published leaked information on Iran and Israel, and NBC had published leaked information on the state of U.S.-Russia relations.

It was not clear that any published information was classified, or that the news organizations had received classified materials. There are tight restrictions on the circumstances under which intelligence officials can provide information to the news media.

“Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated,” Ms. Gabbard wrote. “Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now.”

Ms. Gabbard said that her office knew of leakers within the intelligence agencies and that she intended to hold officials who released the information “accountable.”

Ms. Gabbard promised action against the intelligence officers she believed provided the information, not the news organizations. But the announcement of the leak investigations signaled a new effort by the Trump administration to chill national security reporting.