Justice Department subpoenas New York Times reporters over Air Force One security story
The Justice Department has subpoenaed four New York Times journalists — Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt — over the paper’s reporting that the Qatar-gifted replacement for Air Force One lacks some of the advanced security features, including anti-missile defenses, of the aircraft it succeeds. The subpoenas, delivered to the reporters at their homes by federal agents, call them before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week in connection with an alleged violation of federal criminal law.
The reporting drew attention because the security gap was raised in the context of possible Iranian threats to the president after renewed U.S. strikes on Iran this week. The government’s move treats the disclosure as a leak of protected information rather than routine national-security journalism.
The Times condemned the subpoenas as intimidation, with attorney David McCraw saying federal agents appearing on reporters’ doorsteps “should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.” Earlier this year the department issued similar subpoenas to reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, then withdrew them in both cases — a pattern that suggests these demands may face the same retreat, but not before imposing a chilling cost on sourcing.