WASHINGTON – The New York Times refused to let its reporters testify in front of a federal grand jury after they were subpoenaed by the Trump administration over a story about security issues with an Air Force One plane donated by Qatar.
The journalists were ordered to appear on July 15 in a Manhattan federal court after Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, issued subpoenas on July 10, the Times reported.
The Times said it filed a motion under seal to quash the subpoenas, calling them “abusive and improper.”
“These subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage,” David McCraw, the newspaper’s senior vice-president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement.
“They violate the constitutional rights of The Times and its journalists. We are going to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter.”
At a Senate hearing on July 15 to consider Clayton’s nomination as director of national intelligence, he said the subpoenas issued to the Times’ reporters were “in connection with an ongoing national security investigation.”
He declined to offer details, but defended the process while saying he was “absolutely committed to and respect our First Amendment and the role of the press.”
The Justice Department has wide latitude to issue grand jury subpoenas, especially after Trump took office, according to former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei, an attorney at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder.
“With the current administration, they withdrew policies restricting the DOJ’s ability to subpoena journalists that were in place under the Biden administration,” Mattei said.
The Times published a story last week about how the new Air Force One, which President Donald Trump flew to Turkey, doesn’t have the same defensive countermeasures and safety features of the previous jet, including antimissile capabilities.
That could pose risks to those on board.
Trump switched to the old Air Force One to leave Turkey last week because of security precautions.
The controversial plane, which was donated by Qatar in 2025 and unveiled in June, raised ethical and national security concerns as one of the biggest foreign gifts ever given to the US government.
Officials are typically limited to gifts worth less than US$480 (S$618.48) from foreign governments.
The Boeing Co 747-8 is meant to temporarily serve as Air Force One until a new fleet from Boeing arrives in 2028.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in 2025 that retrofitting it would probably cost under US$400 million. T
he plane, which is painted red, white and blue instead of the baby blue colour of the old Air Force One, has a luxurious interior.
It is scheduled to be donated to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office.
Government subpoenas of journalists are highly unusual in the US, but the Trump administration has pursued multiple investigations over government leaks to news outlets and made unsuccessful attempts to subpoena journalists from the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the home of a Post reporter in January as part of an investigation into whether a government contractor illegally retained classified materials. BLOOMBERG
