Rosenstein: DOJ Is 'After the Leakers, Not the Journalists'

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Sunday that the Justice Department is not out to target and prosecute journalists, after mounting concern over how a newly announced crackdown on leaks could affect reporters.

“We are after the leakers, not the journalists. We are after people who are committing crimes,” Rosenstein said on Fox News Sunday.

His remarks come after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday that the Justice Department was reviewing the tight rules in place for subpoenaing reporters.

"We respect the important role that the press plays and will give them respect, but it is not unlimited,” Sessions said during a press conference laying out the administration’s strategy for cracking down on leaks. “They cannot place lives at risk with impunity.”

Asked Sunday whether the Justice Department would prosecute reporters if they publish classified information, Rosenstein said, “We don't prosecute journalist for doing their jobs.”