DOJ Subpoenas NYT Reporters and Their Relatives Over Air Force One Leak

DOJ Subpoenas NYT Reporters and Their Relatives Over Air Force One Leak

A newly unsealed motion reveals the Trump administration's Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times reporters — and sought phone records tied to two reporters' spouses and one reporter's mother — as part of a leak investigation. 

The probe targets sources behind Times reporting that a new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One replacement lacked some security features (including antimissile capabilities) found in older presidential aircraft. Subpoenas were hand-delivered just 24 hours after the story published, and some sought records dating to January 2026 — well before the reporting in question, raising questions about scope. 

The Times is seeking to quash the subpoenas, arguing the effort is unusually aggressive even by past standards. Press freedom advocates were sharply critical: the Freedom of the Press Foundation called targeting reporters' relatives "gross," with one advocate quipping "even the Mafia says families are off limits." 

The DOJ defends the subpoenas as targeting leakers of classified information, not journalists themselves, saying they comply with federal law and internal policy. 

The case echoes similar controversies from earlier administrations (Obama, first Trump term) that also drew bipartisan criticism over reporter surveillance. It's expected to become a closely watched test of press freedom, confidential sourcing protections, and executive authority over national security leak investigations.