The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday issued subpoenas to four journalists at The New York Times. The subpoenas require Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt to appear before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, July 16, 2026.
The documents direct the reporters to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.” In some instances, federal agents delivered the subpoenas to the journalists’ homes, the outlet reported.
The subpoenas followed the publication of two articles by the journalists relating to Air Force One.
On July 8, the reporters described a security precaution that led President Trump to depart a NATO summit in Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft rather than the newer plane. The following day, they reported that the new aircraft, a Boeing 747-8 received as a gift from Qatar, lacked certain advanced security features present on the older model, including antimissile countermeasures.
Both articles relied on anonymous sources discussing sensitive security matters.
Prior to the July 8 publication, a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and a senior editor at the newspaper and requested that the article be withheld on national security grounds while also seeking disclosure of sources. The Times declined the request.
The subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton was recently nominated by President Trump to serve as director of national intelligence.
The subpoenas contained limited details beyond the requirement to testify regarding a possible federal criminal violation.
The New York Times responded through its top newsroom lawyer, David McCraw. “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” he said.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs,” McCraw added.
The Department of Justice has indicated in related statements that its actions target the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by government officials rather than the journalists themselves. A department statement noted appreciation for the press’s role while emphasizing the need to ensure that individuals entrusted with national secrets do not share classified information improperly.
As of this report, the journalists have not yet appeared before the grand jury, and further developments in the matter, including any motions to quash the subpoenas, have not been reported.
