In Washington, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales suggested Sunday the Justice Department may begin prosecuting journalists for writing articles based on classified information. Under the Espionage Act of 1917 it is a crime for an unauthorized person to receive national defense information and transmit it to others but it has seldom — if ever — been used to target journalists. Gonzales comments came on ABC’s This Week.

George Stephanopoulos: So you believe journalists can be prosecuted for publishing classified information?

Alberto Gonzales: Well, again, George, it depends on the circumstances. There are some statutes on the book which if, if you read the language carefully would seem to indicate that that is a possibility. That’s a policy judgment by the Congress in passing that kind of legislation. We have an obligation to enforce those laws. We have an obligation to ensure that our national security is protected.