Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told Anderson Cooper during an appearance on CNN that journalists who report on classified information, like Glenn Greenwald recently did on behalf of NSA leaker Edward Snowden, should be punished, along with their sources.

Talking Points Memo: “Actually, if they willingly knew that this was classified information, I think action should be taken, especially on something of this magnitude,” King said. “I know that the whole issue of leaks has been gone into over the last month. I think something on this magnitude, there is an obligation, both moral but also legal, I believe, against a reporter disclosing something which would so severely compromise national security. As a practical matter, I guess it happened in the past several years, a number of reporters who have been prosecuted under it, so the answer is yes to your question.”

Here’s Glenn Greenwald’s tweet about Peter King’s comments:

Is is true, as I was just told, that Peter King on CNN called for criminal prosecution of journalists reporting the NSA stories?

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 12, 2013

Rep. Peter King talking with Anderson Cooper about NSA leaks:

This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.