DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Reporters to Testify Before Grand Jury Over Air Force One Story

What happened

The US Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times journalists on Friday, ordering them to testify before a federal grand jury, according to the Times' own account as cited by the Guardian, BBC and NPR. The subpoenas follow a Times report detailing security concerns about the Qatar-gifted aircraft being converted for use as Air Force One. Compelling reporters' grand jury testimony over a specific national-security story is a rare and aggressive step for the federal government to take against a news organization.

• New York Times journalists were subpoenaed by the Justice Department on Friday to testify before a grand jury, per the Times' own reporting as cited by the Guardian
• The subpoenas follow a Times story detailing security concerns with the Qatar-gifted plane being converted for use as Air Force One, per the Guardian
• Multiple Times journalists, not a single reporter, received subpoenas, per the Guardian and BBC
• NPR, BBC and the Guardian each independently reported the subpoenas within a day of the disclosure

What we don't know yet

• How many journalists were subpoenaed in total, and whether prosecutors are seeking to identify their source(s) for the security story
• What legal basis the Justice Department is relying on, and whether the Times will move to quash the subpoenas
• Whether the Justice Department has issued any public comment or justification beyond the subpoenas themselves

Why it matters

Compelling journalists to testify before a grand jury threatens confidentiality protections for sources on national-security reporting and sets a precedent other newsrooms covering the administration are likely to watch closely.

Claims

• ConfirmedThe US Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury following a Times report on security concerns with the Qatar-gifted Air Force One replacement plane.