The Department of Justice received 37 allegations of illegal leaks within the federal government last year, almost double the number reported in 2015.
Despite several measures put in place by former President Obama to prevent illegal disclosures, the latest figures track closely with a leak trend dating back to 2009. Since that year, the DOJ has received 39.7 leak crime reports on average every year.
The 2016 figures were released on Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from investigative journalists Steven Aftergood with the Federation of American Scientist’s Secrecy Blog.
The data did not include details on each leak or if official investigations were opened in response. It may also not reveal the full scope of leak complaints. The DOJ’s National Security Division stated that the released numbers do not include certain law enforcement and national security categories that are not subject to FOIA requirements.
“Evidently there is a baseline of leakiness that persists even in the face of strenuous official efforts to combat leaks,” Aftergood stated.
He noted an executive order signed in 2011 by then President Obama, and a National Insider Threat Policy in 2012, intended to better protect classified information and identify potential leakers.
The previous administration also relied on the Justice Department to criminally prosecute more leakers than any US president in history.
Those efforts, however, have shown little deterrent value. And next year’s figures could show a further increase in leak referrals.
In just its first month in office, the Trump administration has been under a barrage of apparent unauthorized disclosures within the White House and intelligence community. During his February press briefing, Trump said he had “called the Justice Department to look into criminal leaks.”
Administration Press Secretary Sean Spicer reportedly made his staff submit to a surprise “phone check” in an effort to root out leaks.
Congressional intelligence committees, under GOP leadership, have also stated intent to investigate the illegal release of classified information. Earlier this month, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said the House Intelligence Committee would probe disclosures that revealed the details of a phone call between former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian ambassador.
On Tuesday, President Trump told Fox News that he believed the former President Obama was playing a role in all the leaks.
“I think he is behind it,” Trump said. “I also think it is politics, that’s the way it is.”
During his presidential campaign last year, Trump quipped, “I love Wikileaks!” The publishing outfit was, at the time, releasing hacked emails belonging to Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
