AG Pam Bondi has bad news for journalists involved in ‘improper leaks’

A Biden-era policy that shielded journalists from accountability regarding government leaks has been rescinded by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Instituted by former President Joe Biden and former Attorney General Merrick Garland, the policy prevented the federal government from subpoenaing reporters who were involved with government leaks.

The policy adjustment was reportedly made in response to the first Trump administration’s attempts to obtain documents from reporters at CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

“These regulations recognize the crucial role that a free and independent press plays in our democracy,” Garland said at the time. “Because freedom of the press requires that members of the news media have the freedom to investigate and report the news, the new regulations are intended to provide enhanced protection to members of the news media from certain law enforcement tools and actions that might unreasonably impair newsgathering.”

#USA: We welcome Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to prohibit prosecutors from seizing #journalists‘ records in leak investigations (with some exceptions). This is an important first step towards the protection of sources and the press️https://t.co/wtW8mc19Rk

— IFJ (@IFJGlobal) July 20, 2021

But according to Bondi, Garland had it all wrong. In a memo published Friday, she argued that recent government leaks to the media are hurting the Trump administration, ergo why reporters need to open up about their sources.

“Safeguarding classified, privileged, and other sensitive information is essential to effective governance and law enforcement,” she wrote. “Federal government employees intentionally leaking sensitive information to the media undermines the ability of the Department of Justice to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep America safe. This conduct is illegal and wrong, and it must stop.”

“Therefore, I have concluded that it is necessary to rescind Merrick Garland’s policies precluding the Department of Justice from seeking records and compelling testimony from members of the news media in order to identify and punish the source of improper leaks. I am also directing the Office of Legal Policy to publish new regulatory language in 28 CFR. § 50.10 to reflect the rescission of those policies,” she added.

However, Bondi also promised to “employ procedural protections to limit” the seeking out of records from the press as a “last resort.”

“Under the new regulatory language implemented today, the Department will continue to employ procedural protections to limit the use of compulsory legal process to obtain information from or records of members of the news media, which include enhanced approval and advance-notice procedures,” she explained. “These procedural protections recognize that investigative techniques relating to newsgathering are an extraordinary measure to be deployed as a last resort when essential to a successful investigation or prosecution.”

AG Pam Bondi reversed former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s policy against subpoenaing journalists for phone records. This now allows her department to compel reporters to testify in court about leaks.

It’s about time!! pic.twitter.com/xsL8csRdg1

— ~☆~LindaEvans (@Deja_Vu_4Me) April 26, 2025

The left-wing media is of course apoplectic over this change in policy.

“Some of the most consequential reporting in U.S. history — from Watergate to warrantless wiretapping after 9/11 — was and continues to be made possible because reporters have been able to protect the identities of confidential sources and uncover and report stories that matter to people across the political spectrum,” Bruce Brown, the president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement.

“Strong protections for journalists serve the American public by safeguarding the free flow of information,” he added.

The change in policy comes amid an unprecedented number of leaks across the Trump administration, including from the intelligence community (IC).

Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no…

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 14, 2025

Earlier this week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made several criminal referrals pertaining to major IC leaks.

“Today, I referred two intelligence community leakers to the Department of Justice for criminal referral, with a third criminal referral on its way, which includes the recent illegal leak to The Washington Post,” she told Fox News. “These deep-state criminals leaked classified information for partisan political purposes to undermine President Trump’s agenda.”

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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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