The U.S. government on Wednesday withdrew subpoenas issued to three New York Times reporters, according to a Department of Justice filing. The subpoenas had sought to compel the journalists to testify and provide information regarding their sources for articles published about a Boeing 747 aircraft gifted to President Donald Trump by the government of Qatar.
The Department of Justice stated in the withdrawal notice that the subpoenas were issued due to "procedural and legal errors." According to the filing, the department did not follow mandatory internal guidelines that require high-level authorization from the Attorney General before subpoenas are issued to members of the media.
The New York Times had previously moved to quash the subpoenas, citing First Amendment protections for newsgathering. Following the withdrawal, the department indicated it would review the matter in accordance with established regulations regarding investigations involving the press. The reporters involved—Michael Crowley, Mark Mazzetti, and Edward Wong—had reported on the legal and diplomatic circumstances surrounding the aircraft's transfer to the U.S. government fleet.