New York Times Seeks to Block DOJ Subpoenas of Reporters in Air Force One Leak Probe
The Times filed a sealed motion in federal court to quash Justice Department subpoenas served on three journalists who reported on security concerns about the newly acquired Air Force One, sparking a legal clash over press-source protection.
The New York Times filed a sealed motion in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday seeking to invalidate three subpoenas the Justice Department issued to its reporters. The subpoenas, delivered to the journalists’ homes last Friday, require them to testify before a federal grand jury about a story that cited anonymous sources regarding security flaws in the newly retrofitted Air Force One, a jet gifted by Qatar and upgraded at a cost of $400 million.
David McCraw, the newspaper’s senior vice president and deputy general counsel, said the subpoenas were issued "in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage" and that they "violate the constitutional rights of The Times and its journalists." He added that the paper will use the courts to protect its reporters’ ability to report on the administration.
The Justice Department defended the subpoenas, stating that the aim is to identify individuals who leaked classified national-security information, not to target journalists themselves. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told the Senate that reporters are being treated as "material witnesses" in a leak investigation and that the department’s role is to ensure classified information is not improperly disclosed.
The dispute follows earlier actions by the department, including a policy change in April 2025 that removed certain protections for journalists’ phone records in leak probes, and a recent FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home as part of a separate investigation.
The case is expected to raise questions about the balance between national-security investigations and First-Amendment protections for the press.