Overview
- The New York Times said federal agents served grand‑jury subpoenas on four reporters on Friday ordering them to testify in Manhattan next week about reporting on the presidential plane.
- The subpoenas, issued by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, provide few specifics and seek testimony “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law,” and some were delivered to reporters at their homes.
- The reporting that triggered the probe said the Qatari‑donated Boeing 747‑8 recently retrofitted as Air Force One lacked some advanced defensive systems and that the Secret Service urged the president to fly home on an older jet.
- The Times and press‑freedom groups condemned the subpoenas and said they will fight them in court while the Department of Justice says reporters are not the targets and that investigators are pursuing unauthorized leaks.
- The action follows earlier 2026 leak subpoenas to other outlets that were later withdrawn and sets up a likely legal fight that could clarify how far prosecutors can go to compel testimony from journalists.