Justice Department subpoenas New York Times reporters over Air Force One reporting
The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed four New York Times reporters regarding their coverage of security concerns surrounding Air Force One. The newspaper has condemned the move as an intimidation tactic that threatens press freedom.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing tensions between federal law enforcement and investigative journalism regarding the protection of anonymous sources.
The New York Times says several of its journalists have been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice over their reporting on Air Force One, describing it as a "brazen act."
On Wednesday, the newspaper published an anonymously sourced story that the Secret Service urged President Trump to leave the recent NATO summit in Turkey on an older version of Air Force One instead of the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar last year because of security concerns. The following day, the Times reported, again citing anonymous sources, that the gifted plane lacked "defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities."
The four reporters bylined on Wednesday's article — Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt — all received subpoenas, according to the Time s. The paper said federal agents delivered the subpoenas Friday evening to some reporters at their homes.
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