Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting
The US Department of Justice has ordered several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury following their reporting on “security concerns” involving President Donald Trump's new Air Force One, a Boeing aircraft donated by Qatar, according to the newspaper.
The New York Times said the subpoenas were issued on Friday, directing the journalists to appear before a federal grand jury on Wednesday to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”
According to the newspaper, the subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. It added that, in some cases, federal agents delivered the subpoenas to reporters' homes.
Describing the move as “an extraordinary escalation in President Trump's efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations,” the newspaper said the action targeted journalists who had reported on “security issues” surrounding the president's newly acquired aircraft.
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In a statement to Reuters, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice neither confirmed nor denied that the subpoenas had been issued.
The spokesperson said the administration was not targeting reporters, but was focused on individuals responsible for leaking classified information.
The White House referred all inquiries on the matter to the Justice Department.
Several journalism advocacy organizations criticized the subpoenas, describing them as a threat to press freedom and constitutional protections.
The National Press Club called on the Justice Department to withdraw the subpoenas.
“When federal agents arrive at the homes of journalists with subpoenas, it is not ordinary law enforcement,” the organization said in a statement. “It is an extraordinary assault on the freedom of the press that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment.”
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The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also criticized the action and urged the US Senate Intelligence Committee to question Clayton when he appears before lawmakers for his confirmation hearing next Wednesday. Trump recently nominated Clayton to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Stephen J. Adler, chairman of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said, “When the public’s right to know is crushed, as the Trump Administration is trying to do with its subpoenas against The New York Times, all of us suffer irreparable harm, as does the freedom upon which this nation is built.”
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