“The Department of Justice has not taken the initiative to prosecute leaks of national security secrets,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) at a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday.
Considering that the Justice Department in the Obama Administration has initiated an unprecedented number of leak prosecutions, Rep. Smith had it exactly wrong. But his remark illustrates the rampant confusion and the growing antagonism that surrounds the topic of leaks of classified information.
For some of the latest coverage, see:
“The ‘Leak’ Wars” by Josh Gerstein, Politico, June 8
“Toobin: Obama has been ‘very tough’ on leakers” by Ashley Hayes, CNN, June 7
“U.S. Attacks, Online and From the Air, Fuel Secrecy Debate” by Scott Shane, New York Times, June 7
The FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) paints a picture of a Congress that is working to both protect and accelerate nuclear modernization programs while simultaneously lacking trust in the Pentagon and the Department of Energy to execute them.
For Impact Fellow John Whitmer, working in public service was natural. “I’ve always been around people who make a living by caring.”
While advanced Chinese language proficiency and cultural familiarity remain irreplaceable skills, they are neither necessary nor sufficient for successful open-source analysis on China’s nuclear forces.
To maximize clean energy deployment, we must address the project development and political barriers that have held us back from smart policymaking and implementation that can withstand political change. Here’s how.