A federal judge has rebuked the government for its handling of subpoenas issued to three New York Times reporters. The government had sought to compel the reporters to testify about their sources for articles about President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

Background

The New York Times had reported that the switch to the new jet had come at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older Air Force One aircraft. The government had issued grand jury subpoenas to the reporters, seeking to compel them to identify their sources.

The judge, Arun Subramanian, criticized the government for its handling of the subpoenas, saying that they had been issued as a first step rather than a last resort. He noted that the government was required to ensure that it could not obtain the information it needed from any other sources before issuing subpoenas to journalists.

Government Withdraws Subpoenas

The government has now withdrawn the subpoenas, citing legal errors. The withdrawal comes at a time when the Trump administration is facing criticism for its handling of the press and its efforts to compel journalists to identify their sources.

The New York Times had argued that the subpoenas were an attempt to intimidate journalists and undermine the First Amendment. The paper’s lawyers had challenged the validity of the grand jury subpoenas, along with subpoenas issued for phone records of several Times journalists and some of their relatives.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.