Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump has made it clear to the State Department that he wants to accelerate the release of any remaining Hillary Clinton emails in its possession as soon as possible, according to three sources familiar with the President's thinking.

This latest move for disclosure from the State Department comes at the same time the President called upon the Justice Department to lift a gag order on a key FBI informant in an investigation into Russian efforts to gain influence in the US uranium industry during the Obama administration.

The sources described the President's interest in the release of the emails -- and the testimony of the FBI informant -- as rooted in a commitment to "transparency," with one source adding that "the law requires cooperation with Congress and the courts."

After the initial publication of this story, one White House official confirmed the President expressed interest in the release of the Clinton emails, and later -- in a conversation with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- learned of the vast backlog of more than 13,000 outstanding FOIA cases. Those cases involve not just Clinton's emails but a multitude of topics -- some going back almost a decade. Trump then asked Tillerson to work to clear the backlog.

In a memo to State Department employees, Tillerson said that the department will commit more resources and workforce to address the long queue of requests.

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