Sen. Joe Lieberman argued for a new law under which to go after individuals who leak national security information on “Fox News Sunday.” Lieberman called a recent spate of national security intelligence leaks “the worst in a long time” and said he believes “we’re on a slippery slope where people think there’s no accountability if you leak.”
In order to discourage leaking, Lieberman suggested changing the law so that it is easier to hold people accountable. “I think we need to change the law that’s applied here,” he said. “The last person to be convicted of a crime for leaking to the media was more than 25 years ago. We’re still using a 1917 Espionage Act that requires some showing of intent and knowledge that the leak would harm the security of the United States.”
Instead, Lieberman suggested that the law simply say, “If you disclose without authority classified information, you’ve committed a crime.”
