Overview
- Federal prosecutors in Manhattan, under subpoenas signed by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, ordered five New York Times journalists to testify before a grand jury and delivered some of the papers to reporters’ homes.
- The subpoenas follow Times reporting that the Qatari‑donated Boeing 747‑8 lacked several defensive features of the old Air Force One, including advanced antimissile countermeasures, which prompted the Secret Service to recommend using the older plane.
- The Justice Department says it is targeting government leakers, not journalists, but the Times filed a sealed motion to quash the subpoenas and its lawyers call the orders retaliation for accurate public‑interest reporting.
- The subpoenas prompted live questioning of Jay Clayton and other DOJ officials at Senate confirmation hearings and put the reporters at legal risk if prosecutors grant immunity and they refuse to testify.
- The action follows earlier 2026 leak probes where the DOJ issued then withdrew subpoenas to other newsrooms and an FBI search of a reporter’s home, a pattern that press groups say reflects looser department rules and a growing threat to source protection.