This is all because those agencies have become so politicized. I can imaging working there when Obama was elected, knowing that I’d have to do a lot of stuff I disagreed with philosophically, but he was the boss so if I wanted to keep my job I’d do what was required, but I’d compartmentalize myself...hang out and talk with others who feel the same way. Before long you’ve got the agency divided into camps, those who agree philosophically with the President and those who do not, but can’t say or do much about it. That also pretty accurately describes the state of the nation for the past 8 years. Maybe even going back to Bush the Younger, because of the division that occured in 2000 over the chad-count election.
In any case that’s why we have what we have today. Factions within the agencies have now flipped, the traditionalists are “in charge” and the Obamaites are having to play defense, but the game is the same — leak info to screw the other side, do what you have to but find a way to stick the knife in and give it a twist if possible, without getting caught.
Think about how many employees of these agencies have the phone numbers of so-called journalists in their contacts list...and how many SHOULD.
It wont’ be easy to fix this. I have no idea really how Trump can do it.
Hiring freeze and attrition is about the only tool short of them leaving for other jobs elsewhere.
This kind of release has to media has to be contrary to rules.
So, I’d track them down and fire them for national security cause.
I don’t think ‘whistleblower’ laws cover violating national security.
And, if for some reason it does, then no one says they cannot be reassigned to the mail room to sort mail, to the dock to unload trucks, to shipping/receiving to process paperwork, to housekeeping to clean windows, etc.