The U.S. Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to four New York Times reporters, requiring them to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday. According to the Times, federal agents delivered the subpoenas Friday evening to the homes of Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt. The legal action follows the publication of reporting regarding a Boeing 747 gifted to the Trump administration by Qatar for use as Air Force One.
The Times' reporting, which cited anonymous sources, alleged that the Secret Service advised President Trump against using the gifted aircraft for a recent NATO summit due to security concerns. A subsequent report stated the plane lacked certain defensive countermeasures and antimissile capabilities found on older models. A spokesperson for the Times said that prior to publication, an FBI official requested the paper withhold the story and identify its sources, which the organization declined to do.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York issued the subpoenas in relation to an alleged violation of federal criminal law. David McCraw, deputy general counsel for the Times, called the move an attempt to intimidate journalists. Bruce D. Brown of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press stated the action departed from Justice Department practices regarding information sought from reporters. The White House, the FBI, and the Southern District of New York declined to comment.