Overview
- Lawyers for The New York Times filed a motion, unsealed Monday, saying prosecutors had subpoenaed third‑party phone and text records tied to several reporters as well as a reporter’s mother and two reporters’ spouses.
- The filings show some subpoenas sought records dating back to Jan. 1, 2026, which the Times says goes beyond the July articles that triggered the investigation.
- Prosecutors previously hand‑delivered grand‑jury subpoenas on July 10 to compel reporters to testify and say the targets are the leakers, not the journalists themselves.
- The Times argues the Justice Department violated its own media‑subpoena guidelines by delaying notification and asked the court to quash the requests, while press‑freedom groups condemned seeking relatives’ records.
- All subpoenas are paused pending the court hearing on Thursday, and the case is seen as part of a broader 2026 pattern of escalated leak enforcement that could affect source protection and newsroom practices.