The leak cases involving high-level United States government officials—such as Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s “Plamegate” affair, Bill Richardson in the “Wen Ho Lee” occurrence, and James Comey’s conversations with President Trump—have sparked a contentious discourse on leaks among elite government officials. This research, through an analysis of these prominent cases, compares the perception of leaks by presidential administrations as symptoms of organizational failure with the view that they are driven by individual motivations. By analyzing these cases through the frameworks of David Pozen’s “Leaky Leviathan” concept and Rahul Sagar’s “creaky Leviathan” concept, this research argues that attributing leaks primarily to organizational failures obscures the deficiencies in leak-related policies. Instead, the focus should be shifted to the need to understand the personal agendas and the nature of the leaked information that motivates elite officials to leak. This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics surrounding government leaks and their impact on governance and public trust.