DOJ Withdraws Subpoenas Targeting New York Times Reporters

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it would withdraw the subpoenas it had issued to phone companies for subscriber information linked to a New York Times reporter’s mother and two reporters’ spouses. Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley told U.S. The subpoenas had been issued earlier this month after the Times published a story about security concerns surrounding a luxury jet the Qatari government provided to former President Donald Trump.

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The subpoenas were part of a broader effort by the Trump-era DOJ to obtain communications records from journalists covering the administration. The Times’ legal team, led by attorney David McCraw, challenged the subpoenas as unlawful, arguing that they threatened press freedom and the confidentiality of sources.

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• Sean Buckley (Deputy U.S. Attorney) acknowledged the error and indicated the withdrawal was a corrective step.

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• John Schwartz, professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism and Media, framed the outcome as a practical lesson, urging journalists to “fight and you win.”

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• The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the withdrawal a “welcome reversal” but warned that the chilling effect of the original subpoenas remains.

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• “It was a consequence of trying to move quickly.” — Eric Lipton, one of the Times journalists

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• “Enormous thank you to the entire NYT legal team and outside counsel that has worked with such clarity and determination to challenge this,” — Eric Lipton, one of the Times journalists

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• “We are pleased that the government finally conceded that the subpoenas violated the law, but they should never have been issued in the first place,” — David McCraw

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