Poll of Ex-U.S. Officials Says 42% Leaked Data

WASHINGTON —  A survey of former U.S. officials reports that 42% said they leaked information to the news media, mainly to influence public debate on governmental policy, it was reported Sunday.

The survey, part of a new book, “Impact,” by Martin Linsky of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, also said that many officials leak information to develop good working relationships with reporters.

The survey included two former secretaries of state, Henry A. Kissinger and Cyrus R. Vance, although the survey does not indicate whether they said they had ever leaked information.

The survey of 483 senior federal officials showed that 42% of the former government officials leaked information to the press and felt that it is appropriate to do so. Of that group, 73% said that they did so “to gain attention for an issue or a policy option.”

Forty percent of those who said it was appropriate to leak information explained that they did so “to develop good relationships with members of the press,” and 78% said that they did so “to counter false or misleading information.”