The trend of more regularly treating leaks as crimes began midway through George W. Bush’s presidency and extended through Barack Obama and Mr. Trump’s administrations. The disclosures prompted an uproar among lawmakers of both parties and among press-freedoms advocates, and senior Obama administration officials decided that criminal leak cases had grown out of control. Mr. Holder also required higher-level approval before prosecutors could subpoena journalists for testimony or notes. And he banned portraying reporters as criminal conspirators, unless prosecutors really intended to charge them with a crime. After the controversy and Mr. Holder’s changes, the rate of new leak cases dropped significantly during Mr. Obama’s second term.

Source: New York Times May 24, 2021 21:11 UTC