Overview
- The New York Times disclosed on Saturday that FBI agents delivered a previously undisclosed grand-jury subpoena to freelancer Matthew Cole seeking two years of his contacts and testimony about his reporting on a failed U.S. mission in North Korea.
- Prosecutors in Virginia issued the subpoena that the paper says asks Cole to identify sources and provide notes tied to a 2025 Times story that relied on unnamed officials and former U.S. personnel.
- The Times is providing Cole with legal representation and his attorney said he will defend press freedoms and refuse to betray confidential sources.
- News organizations and press advocates called the demand chilling and illegal while the White House and the Justice Department say the effort targets leakers not journalists.
- The subpoena fits a pattern of recent DOJ actions — including earlier Times subpoenas over Air Force One reporting that were later withdrawn after court scrutiny — and may force new judicial rulings about how far prosecutors can compel reporters to disclose sources.