DOJ withdraws subpoenas of New York Times reporters after legal errors

The Department of Justice withdrew subpoenas for three New York Times reporters after a federal judge criticized the government for legal errors. The subpoenas, related to reporting on security concerns with President Trump's Qatari-donated Air Force One, were deemed a violation of rules protecting journalists, which state such measures must be a "last resort." The DOJ also sought reporters' phone records, including those of one journalist's mother.

DOJ subpoena withdrawal

• ▪On July 23, 2026, the Department of Justice withdrew subpoenas against New York Times reporters after admitting to legal errors.
• ▪The subpoenas sought to compel three New York Times reporters to testify before a federal grand jury about their sources.
• ▪The withdrawal occurred during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan where a judge was considering a motion by the Times to quash the subpoenas.

Subpoena targeting methods

• ▪Federal agents delivered several of the subpoenas to the reporters' homes.
• ▪The subpoenas were issued on July 10 by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, whom President Trump has nominated as director of national intelligence.

Phone records seizure

• ▪A subpoena also targeted the phone records of one reporter's mother.
• ▪The DOJ also issued subpoenas to third-party phone service providers seeking several journalists' phone and text messaging records.

Air Force One security reporting

• ▪A July 8 New York Times report stated that the new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 "does not have all the features of the older plane" regarding security.
• ▪The investigation stemmed from articles about security concerns with President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One jet, a gift from the nation of Qatar.

Press freedom concerns

• ▪Federal Judge Arun Subramanian said he would have rejected the subpoenas because they should be a "last resort" in an investigation, not a "first step."
• ▪Judge Subramanian stated the government's actions had turned laws protecting against First Amendment violations "on its head."
• ▪David McCraw, a lawyer for The New York Times, called the subpoenas a "brazen act" to intimidate journalists from doing their jobs.

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