Statement on DOJ Subpoenas Over Qatari Jet Coverage

Late on Friday, the DOJ issued grand jury subpoenas to four New York Times reporters demanding records tied to their coverage of President Trump’s new Qatari-gifted Air Force One. 

The subpoenas came after the FBI asked the Times to hold a story, citing national security concerns but declining to specify those concerns when asked. The story, which the Times did publish, concerned President Trump switching planes for his flight from Turkey to England at the urging of the Secret Service. This change came amid the collapse of the ceasefire with Iran, which adjoins Turkey. The jet, which was retrofitted for security at an estimated cost to the American taxpayer of between $400 million and $1 billion, lacks certain sophisticated security and countermeasure systems that the original Air Force One does have.

Multiple subpoenas were delivered to reporters’ homes by federal agents, in an unorthodox move clearly designed to intimidate. The subpoenas were issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, who was recently nominated by Donald Trump to succeed Tulsi Gabbard as the next Director of National Intelligence.

“These late-night doorstep subpoenas are yet another phase in this administration’s campaign to intimidate reporters who cover stories it does not like,” said Jane Fonda, co-founder of the relaunched Committee for the First Amendment. “These subpoenas, like those it has issued against other outlets, simply demonstrate how afraid this president is of the free press shining a light on his actions. This action will not prevent coverage related to the luxury jet and are unlikely to reveal reporters’ sources. They are intended as a warning: if you write something we don’t like, we may send federal agents to your house at night. It’s textbook authoritarian behavior.”

This news comes in the same week that US Customs and Border Protection detained a journalist at Dulles Airport as he returned from a reporting trip to Iran to cover the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  A free press is essential for civilians to be knowledgeable and form opinions about the actions of their government, whether that be foreign gifts that may endanger national security or the consequences of wars that our government wages overseas. The Committee stands with all those who are targeted by the federal government for reporting on its actions.