A Manhattan federal judge is set to weigh in on subpoenas issued to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump’s use of a Qatari-donated Air Force One. The Trump administration’s Justice Department will ask the judge to uphold the subpoenas, which were issued by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on July 10.
Background
The subpoenas are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to force journalists to divulge their sources. Critics argue that this is an attempt to intimidate and harass the media. The New York Times has asked the judge to throw out the subpoenas, claiming they are an attempt to harass and intimidate journalists in violation of free press protections under the First Amendment.
The case centers on a report by the Times that President Trump left Turkey on the old Air Force One because a new plane donated by Qatar lacked antimissile and other defensive features. The report cited anonymous sources and came as a ceasefire collapsed in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Prosecutors have denied improperly issuing the subpoenas, arguing that the First Amendment does not shield reporters from having to divulge essential information in criminal investigations. The government also claims that the Times’ coverage posed a ‘substantial national security concern’ about leaks of classified national defense information when the president was flying amid hostilities with a foreign adversary intent on harming him.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
