Statement on DOJ Subpoenas Over Iran War Coverage
On Monday, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to the outlet and its reporters, demanding records tied to its coverage of the Iran war.
The subpoenas, dated March 4, came after President Trump handed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — his former personal attorney — a stack of news articles with a sticky note reading “Treason” in Sharpie. Treason, under the federal criminal code, is a capital offense.
This is a threat not just to one newsroom, but all those working courageously to ensure the public knows the truth about this administration’s war in Iran. The effort to expose and prosecute confidential sources on whom independent reporting depends sends a chilling message to anyone who might speak truth to power. CNN reports that several other outlets who have not gone public yet also received subpoenas based on their coverage of the Iran war.
“The Justice Department’s actions against The Wall Street Journal are another blatant effort to chill dissent among those who dare challenge the narrative advanced by this regime,” said Jane Fonda, co-founder of the relaunched Committee for the First Amendment. “A press that cannot protect its sources cannot do its job. If successful, this attempt to punish a free press for reporting on concerns raised by Pentagon leadership would allow this administration to conduct this illegal war in total darkness.”
This attack on speech that challenges the government’s military objectives is not an isolated incident. The administration is separately seeking to strip Arizona Senator Mark Kelly of his retired Navy Captain rank and pension for reminding active-duty servicemembers, in a video last November, that they are not only permitted but obligated to disobey unlawful orders and refuse to participate in war crimes. Whether the target is a reporter, a retired officer, or a sitting senator, the goal is the same: silence lawful opposition.
The Committee stands with all those across the media, public life, and military service who are targeted by this administration for speaking truths it seeks to silence.
