U.S. Justice Dept. subpoenas N.Y. Times journalists over reports on new Air Force One

Government seeks to compel reporters to testify on Wednesday in New York

Article content The United States Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times reporters on Friday to testify about their reporting, the latest instance of federal officials taking the unusually aggressive step of demanding that journalists appear before grand juries. The Times confirmed that the reporters received the subpoenas, saying that in some instances, federal agents showed up to the reporters’ homes to deliver the legal demands. The subpoenas were related to recent coverage of President Donald Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One plane, which the Times reported lacked some of the security features of his previous aircraft, including antimissile capabilities, a spokesperson for the paper confirmed.

The Times reported that the subpoenas included the four reporters on that article. The Times reported that the subpoenas seek to compel the reporters to testify on Wednesday in New York. An attorney for the Times condemned the subpoenas in a statement, saying the “brazen act” should be viewed as an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate journalists in the performance of their jobs.

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, the Times‘s attorney, said in a statement. “Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used.” The subpoenas mark the latest instance of the Trump administration’s forceful approach to the media as it attempts to crack down on leaks to a press corps that the White House contends has been unfair to Trump.

Such complaints are voiced by virtually every administration. “To be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are,” the Justice Department said in a statement, stressing that it would continue to investigate what it considers breaches of national security. “We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information.”

The statement added that “we recognize there may always be natural tension there” but said the department is “not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s okay to leak classified information impacting national security.” RECOMMENDED VIDEO In recent weeks, the Justice Department sought to force journalists from The Washington Post and the Wall Street