Story perspectives

DOJ Withdraws Journalist Subpoenas After Bondi Rule Rollback

6/25/2026

Center

DOJ Withdraws Subpoenas

The Justice Department drafted grand-jury subpoenas that would have compelled journalists to testify, a tool rarely used against the press.
It withdrew subpoenas for three Wall Street Journal reporters and Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima in Eastern District of Virginia.
Acting AG Todd Blanche said reporters are not targets and the leak probe will continue.
Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded April 2025 journalist-protection rules, prompting groups to hail the withdrawal.

Left

Trump Hands Treason

President Donald Trump allegedly handed a sticky-note reading “Treason” to the acting Attorney General to push subpoenas.
Justice Department withdrew subpoenas demanding testimony from Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima and Wall Street Journal journalists after court challenges.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the subpoenas as a low, likening the tactics to authoritarian playbooks.
Press freedom advocates said the subpoenas fit a broader Trump-era pattern of raiding reporters’ homes.

History

Historical Context

In June 1971 the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, rejected the Nixon administration’s effort to enjoin the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers, establishing a heavy presumption against prior restraint. The 2025 Justice Department subpoenas of Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima and Wall Street Journal journalists echo that historic clash, reminding courts that attempts to silence the press still test First-Amendment limits.

1 of 3

DOJ Withdraws Subpoenas

The Justice Department drafted grand-jury subpoenas that would have compelled journalists to testify, a tool rarely used against the press.
It withdrew subpoenas for three Wall Street Journal reporters and Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima in Eastern District of Virginia.
Acting AG Todd Blanche said reporters are not targets and the leak probe will continue.
Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded April 2025 journalist-protection rules, prompting groups to hail the withdrawal.

1 / 3