Jack Quinn
NEW YORK – Donald Trump’s Justice Department will withdraw subpoenas issued to New York Times reporters who reported on safety issues surrounding the president’s flight aboard Air Force One donated by Qatar, a prosecutor said at a court hearing Thursday.
The July 10 subpoena issued by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton is the latest instance of the Trump administration trying to force reporters to reveal their sources, which critics say is part of the president’s broader pressure campaign on the media.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian has suspended enforcement of the subpoena pending a hearing Thursday, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET in Manhattan federal court.
Prosecutors asked Subramanian to put the subpoena on hold for two weeks because next steps in the investigation could affect his decision, while the Times asked a judge to dismiss the subpoena.
Clayton, Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence, issued the subpoena after The Times reported that Trump left Turkey on an old Air Force One because a new plane donated by Qatar lacked anti-missile and other defense features.
The reports cited anonymous sources and came as a ceasefire broke down in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The New York Times said in a court filing that the subpoena was intended to harass and intimidate journalists and violated the First Amendment’s protection of press freedom.
The company also accused the Justice Department of violating internal policy on the use of subpoenas against journalists, considered a rare step that requires high-level approval.
Prosecutors have denied issuing the subpoena improperly and said in court filings Tuesday that the First Amendment does not protect journalists from revealing material information in criminal investigations.
The government also said the Times report created “significant national security concerns” because of the release of classified defense information while the president was flying in hostilities with foreign adversaries intent on harming him, an apparent reference to Iran.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have tried to force reporters to reveal their sources in leak investigations, but media groups say Trump’s Republican administration has used subpoenas and search warrants too freely, including against The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. They also accuse Trump of using government power and private litigation to bully and harass the news media.
The Trump administration has said it is pursuing criminal charges against leakers, not journalists, and Trump’s personal lawyers have said they are seeking to hold media outlets accountable for false reporting.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
