Sessions plans to go after leakers

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday he is reviewing policies to crack down on leaks of classified information including subpoenaing reporters. Sessions said at a joint news conference with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats that unauthorized leaks have tripled since President Donald Trump took office. In the last six months, the Department of Justice has had more criminal referrals involving unauthorized disclosures of classified information than the previous three years combined, according to Sessions. The attorney general said after consulting with career staff and outside experts, the Justice Department is planning new steps to suppress unauthorized leaks. “At their suggestion, one of the things we are doing is reviewing policies affecting media subpoenas,” Sessions said. “We respect the important role that the press plays and will give them respect, but it is not unlimited. They cannot place lives at risk with impunity.” On Thursday, The Washington Post published transcripts of two phone conversations between Trump and other world leaders obtained through anonymous White House aides. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News on Friday the leaks aren’t going to stop unless someone goes to jail. Coats agreed, issuing a strong warning to would-be leakers: “We will investigate you. We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, and you will not be happy with the result.”