US attorney general slams 'epidemic' of leaks to media

In the past three years, probes of nine such leaks were opened but now -- a year into Trump's presidency -- this number has shot up to 27, Sessions told a hearing of the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee.

"I think it reached -- has reached epidemic proportions. It cannot be allowed to continue and we will do our best effort to ensure it does not continue," the attorney general said.

Trump has complained often and bitterly about leaks of sensitive information since he came to power, notably related to the probe into whether his campaign colluded with a Russian effort to tilt the presidential election in his favor over Hillary Clinton.

For instance, after Trump fired James Comey on May 9, a memo by the ousted FBI director emerged in the New York Times claiming the president had asked him to drop the probe into his former top aide Michael Flynn.

And in February, Trump became livid when CNN reported the FBI had turned down White House requests that it refute reports of contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russians.

"The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security 'leakers' that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW," Trump wrote on Twitter.