U.S. Justice Department subpoenas New York Times journalist in North Korea leak probe
The U.S. Justice Department has subpoenaed a New York Times freelance journalist to uncover sources behind a 2025 report on a botched military operation in North Korea. The newspaper and the journalist's legal team are challenging the move as an attempt to suppress information of public interest.
Why it matters
The case highlights the ongoing tension between national security interests and press freedom regarding the protection of confidential sources.
The Justice Department has subpoenaed the records of a freelance journalist for the New York Times as part of a probe into the sourcing of a 2025 story about a botched U.S. military operation in North Korea, the newspaper said on Saturday (August 1, 2026).
Freelancer Matthew Cole was subpoenaed in February by Virginia prosecutors seeking more than two years’ worth of his notes as well as his testimony, according to the newspaper. Reuters could not immediately independently verify the information, but a spokesman for the Times said Mr. Cole is disclosing the subpoena.
“We support Matthew Cole’s decision to make public a subpoena that the government has attempted to keep secret,” New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in an emailed statement.
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