Leaking to the Stars?

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., announced on Thursday that he has been successful in his four-month-old effort to trigger an inspectors general investigation of CIA and Pentagon contacts with Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow as she prepares her highly anticipated film on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

"Following a shockingly dismissive response to my request from White House press secretary Jay Carney, I am pleased that the inspectors general at DoD and the CIA agree with me that potential leaks to filmmakers are something worth investigating and taking action to address," King, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a press release. "The leaks that followed the successful bin Laden mission led to the arrests of Pakistanis and put in danger the mission's heroes and their families. Privately, individuals in the intelligence and special operations communities expressed support for my request for a probe. I look forward to an update on the investigation and actions taken thus far."

In response to a letter King sent in August, the Defense Department's inspector general on Dec. 23 wrote agreeing to "address actions taken by Department of Defense personnel related to the release of information to the filmmakers."

The CIA's IG went further in a November reply, agreeing to review agency contacts with Bigelow but adding that "the Office of Public Affairs is developing a written policy to create a single point of reference that will govern future interactions with the entertainment industry."

SONY Pictures Entertainment, following criticism that its planned October release of the film would too flagrantly aid President Obama's reelection prospects, postponed the opening until 2013.