Senators Grill Justice Dept. Officials on New York Times Subpoenas

Democratic senators grilled senior Justice Department officials on Wednesday about why the agency issued subpoenas last week to several New York Times journalists, expressing concern that the Trump administration was threatening the freedom of the press.

The subpoenas, which in some cases were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes, sought to compel the journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. The reporters had recently published articles disclosing security concerns about President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One jet.

The coverage enraged Mr. Trump, and the White House quickly directed Kash Patel, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to oversee a leak investigation.

Shortly after the subpoenas were issued, The Times called them a “brazen” effort to intimidate its journalists from freely reporting on the actions of the federal government.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/business/media/blanche-clayton-senate-nyt-subpoenas.html