Trump Administration Subpoenas NYT Reporters Over Leak on Air Force One Security

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to four New York Times reporters who published articles about security concerns regarding the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar and modified at a cost of $400 million. The subpoenas, delivered to the reporters' homes, require them to testify before a federal grand jury as part of an investigation into leaks of classified information Source: CNN; Source: The New York Times via Infobae.

What happened

President Donald Trump used an older Air Force One aircraft to depart from Ankara, Turkey, after a NATO summit, rather than the new plane. The Times reported that the Secret Service recommended the switch due to concerns that the new jet lacked advanced security features, including missile defense systems Source: CNN; Source: ABC. Trump initially denied security worries, citing nostalgia and having the new plane fly separately to an RAF base for military personnel to inspect Source: ABC.

The leak and investigation

The Times articles, citing anonymous sources, detailed the security deficiencies. According to CNN, an FBI official contacted the Times before publication, asking the outlet to withhold the story for national security reasons Source: CNN. The day after the articles appeared, the White House launched a leak investigation orchestrated by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel. Some officials were asked to surrender their phones Source: CNN. The DOJ subpoenas, signed by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, seek to force reporters to reveal their sources Source: ABC; Source: Infobae.

Press freedom concerns

Press freedom groups, including the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) and the National Press Club, have condemned the subpoenas as an unprecedented attack on journalism. The Times has stated it will fight the subpoenas, arguing they threaten the First Amendment. The SIP warned of a chilling effect on investigative reporting Source: SIP via Hoy; Source: CNN. The case underscores tensions between the Trump administration and independent media, following earlier DOJ subpoenas to other outlets Source: La Voz.

• The subpoenas target reporters Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt Source: ABC.
• The new Air Force One remains in service, but the older VC-25A jets continue to operate as backups Source: Clarín.