{"slug":"doj-subpoenas-nyt-reporters-air-force-one","title":"DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Reporters and Their Relatives' Phone Records Over Air Force One Reporting (July 2026)","date":"2026-07-10","lastUpdated":"2026-07-24","description":"In July 2026 the Justice Department served grand jury subpoenas on New York Times journalists who had reported on security concerns about the Qatari-gifted Air Force One. Federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas at reporters' homes. The department also sought phone records of journalists and of relatives, including one reporter's mother and two reporters' spouses, going back to January 1, 2026. The Times moved to quash, calling the subpoenas a bad-faith effort 'to punish The Times for its coverage.' On July 24, after U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian criticized the department's legal work, the government withdrew the subpoenas, acknowledging 'errors' and 'mistakes,' and said it would return to court if new subpoenas were needed.","summary":"The Justice Department tried to force New York Times reporters to testify to a grand jury about their sources for stories on security problems with Air Force One. It also subpoenaed phone records of the reporters' spouses and one reporter's mother. A federal judge rebuked the department, which withdrew the subpoenas and admitted errors. It was the latest attempt under rules rewritten in April 2025 that allow subpoenas to journalists, after earlier subpoenas to Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporters were also dropped.","category":"press-freedom","severity":"major","ongoing":true,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/new-york-times-reporters-are-subpoenaed-after-air-force-one-stories-raising-press-freedom-concerns","title":"New York Times reporters are subpoenaed after Air Force One stories, raising press freedom concerns","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)"},{"url":"https://abc7.com/post/doj-subpoenas-nyt-journalists-donald-trump-administration-new-york-times-reporters-air-force-reporting/19485505/","title":"Trump administration subpoenas New York Times reporters after new Air Force One reporting, NYT says","publisher":"ABC7"},{"url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/new-york-times-files-motion-to-quash-subpoenas-served-on-journalists-over-air-force-one-coverage","title":"New York Times files motion to quash subpoenas served on journalists over Air Force One coverage","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)"},{"url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/doj-sought-phone-records-of-journalists-and-relatives-in-effort-to-unmask-sources-of-air-force-one-security-report","title":"DOJ sought phone records of NYT journalists in effort to unmask sources of Air Force One security report","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)"},{"url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-withdraws-subpoenas-for-new-york-times-reporters/","title":"Government withdraws subpoenas for New York Times reporters in Air Force One leak probe, after judge reprimands DOJ","publisher":"CBS News"},{"url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-administration-tried-force-journalists-testify-federal-grand-jur-rcna351416","title":"Trump administration tried to force journalists to testify before federal grand jury in leak probe","publisher":"NBC News"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["press freedom","journalist subpoenas","New York Times","Air Force One","Qatar","leak investigation","confidential sources"],"relatedEntries":["press-freedom-violations","trump-second-term-press-freedom-attacks-ap-ban","trump-threatens-jail-journalists-iran","trump-emoluments-foreign-payments"],"timeline":[{"date":"2026-06-23","title":"WSJ and Post subpoenas revealed as withdrawn","summary":"NBC News reports that the department tried to compel four journalists (three from the Wall Street Journal, one from the Washington Post) to testify before a grand jury in a leak probe, then dropped the subpoenas after the outlets objected."},{"date":"2026-07-10","title":"Grand jury and phone-record subpoenas issued","summary":"The department issues subpoenas to New York Times reporters to testify before a Manhattan grand jury. Agents deliver some at reporters' homes. Phone-record subpoenas are issued July 10, 14 and 16."},{"date":"2026-07-20","title":"Filings unsealed; relatives' records revealed","summary":"The Times' sealed motion to quash is unsealed, showing the department sought phone records of a reporter's mother and two reporters' spouses. Judge Subramanian freezes enforcement of the phone-record subpoenas."},{"date":"2026-07-24","title":"Government withdraws subpoenas","summary":"After the judge criticizes the department and says he would quash the subpoenas, the government withdraws them, admitting errors, and says it would return to court if new subpoenas were needed."}],"location":{"name":"New York, NY","lat":40.7128,"lng":-74.006},"custom":{"era":"second-term","posture":"judicial-finding","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights","article":"Article 19","provision":"Freedom to seek, receive and impart information; the UN Human Rights Committee's General Comment 34 recognizes the protection of journalists' confidential sources as part of this right"}],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"New York Times journalists Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, whose subpoenas were reported July 11; family members whose phone records were sought; confidential sources","perpetrators":"U.S. Department of Justice; FBI","keyPoints":["The subpoenas followed Times reporting on security concerns involving the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including missing antimissile capabilities.","Federal agents delivered some subpoenas at the reporters' homes. Times lawyer David McCraw said such visits 'should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.'","Unsealed filings showed phone-record subpoenas issued July 10, 14 and 16 covering the reporters, one reporter's mother and two reporters' spouses, with records requested back to January 1, 2026, before the articles were published.","In court the department called the subpoenas to relatives 'errors' and 'mistakes,' and called the omission of the fact that journalists were involved from its non-disclosure applications an 'oversight.'","Weeks earlier the department had dropped grand jury subpoenas to three Wall Street Journal reporters and Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima in a separate leak probe after the outlets objected."],"legalBasis":"First Amendment; 28 C.F.R. § 50.10 (DOJ regulations on obtaining information from members of the news media, which treat compulsory process as a last resort); ICCPR Article 19","postureNote":"The subpoenas were withdrawn on July 24, 2026 after the presiding judge said he would otherwise quash them. The department said it may seek new subpoenas. The underlying leak investigation has no publicly reported charges."}}