Rep. Gowdy Calls For Prosecuting Journalists Who Leaked National Security Information

A U.S. House of Representatives panel discussion the leaking of information related to national security broached the topic of what to do with members of the press who disclose such secrets, and Rep. Trey Gowdy called for swift reaction to leaks, according to the Christian Science Monitor. 

“Why not send a subpoena to the reporter?” Gowdy said. “Put them in front of a grand jury. You either answer a question or you’re going to be held in contempt and go to jail, which is what I thought all reporters aspire to anyway.”

The House panel was discussing the negative effect some reporting, specifically reporting recently done by the New York Times, had on the security and safety of the nation. Specific examples include the paper's investigations of President Barack Obama’s terrorist kill list and American cyberattacks on Iran.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, who chairs the subcommittee, said Wednesday that whistleblower laws enabled holding the government accountable without going to the media, and that those laws allow citizens to go directly to the federal government about instances of government wrongdoing.