Under pressure from Trump, US attorney general Sessions to announce several criminal investigations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to announce soon several criminal investigations into intelligence leaks, news outlets reported on Wednesday (July 26), as the nation's top law enforcement official faced mounting criticism from President Donald Trump.

The announcement has "been in the works for some time and will most likely happen sometime in the next week", Fox News reported, citing an unnamed US official. The Washington Post also reported the planned announcement, citing multiple unnamed officials.

The investigations will look at news stories that publicised sensitive intelligence material, according to the reports.

Officials at the US Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday (July 25), Mr Trump tweeted that Mr Sessions has not aggressively pursued people who leaked intelligence secrets during his time in office, one of a series of criticisms apparently aimed at pushing the former Republican Alabama senator to step down.

Mr Trump also said again he was frustrated that Mr Sessions had recused himself from federal investigation into possible collusion between Mr Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, but stopped short of saying whether he would fire him.

Top Republican lawmakers have rallied to Mr Sessions' defence as allies of the attorney general said Mr Trump appeared to be trying to pressure him to quit by repeatedly criticising him on Twitter and in interviews.

The latest apparent leak involved Mr Sessions himself. On Friday (July 21), the Washington Post reported that Russia's ambassador to Washington was overheard via surveillance by US spy agencies telling his bosses that he had discussed campaign-related matters, including issues important to Moscow, with Mr Sessions during the 2016 presidential race. The newspaper cited current and former US officials familiar with US intelligence intercepts.

Earlier this month, a report written by Republican members of the Senate's homeland security panel said the Trump administration faced an "alarming" amount of media leaks that posed potential danger to national security and urged law enforcement officials to step up their investigations.

Separately, Mr Trump's new communications director, Mr Anthony Scaramucci, told CNN on Wednesday that he recognised that leaks to the media "would never stop" but that he was determined to end any coming from the White House communications office.

On Tuesday, he told reporters on Air Force One after Mr Trump's trip to Ohio that he would probably restructure the communications operation at the White House and fire staff if leaks did not cease: "If the leaks continue, then I've got to let everybody go."

Leaks of classified intelligence that endanger national security have customarily prompted investigations, including by the administration of President Barack Obama, Mr Trump's predecessor.