The Department of Justice has reportedly subpoenaed four reporters from The New York Times following the newspaper’s report alleging that security concerns involving the new Air Force One prompted President Donald Trump to switch aircraft after attending the NATO Summit in Turkey.
According to The New York Times, reporters Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt were served with subpoenas on Friday. In several instances, the newspaper reported that federal agents personally delivered the legal documents to the journalists at their homes.
The subpoenas were issued under the authority of Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton was nominated by President Trump last month to become the next Director of National Intelligence. His nomination followed controversy surrounding Trump’s interim selection for the position, Acting Director Bill Pulte, whose appointment drew significant criticism.
The four reporters are expected to appear before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, according to the newspaper.
The subpoenas themselves reportedly offered little explanation regarding the government’s investigation. The documents stated only that the reporters were being called to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law,” without providing additional details about the nature of the alleged offense.
The move quickly drew a sharp response from The New York Times, which characterized the subpoenas as a serious escalation in the government’s dealings with members of the press.
David McCraw, an attorney representing the newspaper, condemned the decision in a statement released Friday evening.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” McCraw said.
He continued by defending the work of the newspaper’s journalists, arguing that their reporting serves the public interest by informing Americans about how their government operates and how taxpayer dollars are spent.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw stated.
He also described the government’s actions as an effort to discourage journalists from pursuing sensitive stories.
“This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs,” McCraw said.
The legal action follows reporting published by The New York Times earlier this week concerning President Trump’s departure from the NATO Summit in Ankara.
According to the newspaper, Trump left Turkey aboard the older Air Force One aircraft instead of the newly retrofitted plane that had been provided by the government of Qatar. The report stated that the replacement aircraft, valued at approximately $400 million, was not used because of security flaws that had been identified.
Subsequent reporting by the newspaper maintained that concerns about the aircraft’s security were the reason for the last-minute change in plans.
When questioned about why he did not fly aboard the newer aircraft, President Trump said the plane was instead being sent to military bases so service members could see it. The newspaper noted that the explanation raised eyebrows following its reporting regarding the alleged security concerns.
The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the specific federal criminal law referenced in the subpoenas or explained the purpose of the grand jury testimony sought from the four journalists.
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