Story perspectives

Florida AG Seeks NYT Records Over Hamas-Favoring Errors

8/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier demanded the New York Times provide six years of records and meeting minutes, giving it a deadline or face a New York Supreme Court suit.
Uthmeier noted that Florida’s pension fund holds roughly 160,000 New York Times shares.
He said the newspaper admitted 72 errors from October 7 2023 to June 2024 that favored Hamas.
New York Times senior vice president Ranielle Rhoades Ha called the request an attempt to chill First Amendment journalism.

History

Historical Context

In 1971 the Supreme Court rejected the Nixon administration’s attempt to block the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing the 2,000-page Pentagon Papers, issuing a 6-3 ruling that upheld the First Amendment against prior restraint. Florida Attorney General Ashley Uthmeier’s current subpoena for the Times’ internal records revives that clash, testing whether the 1971 precedent still shields investigative journalism from government intrusion.

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Story summary

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier demanded the New York Times provide six years of records and meeting minutes, giving it a deadline or face a New York Supreme Court suit.
Uthmeier noted that Florida’s pension fund holds roughly 160,000 New York Times shares.
He said the newspaper admitted 72 errors from October 7 2023 to June 2024 that favored Hamas.
New York Times senior vice president Ranielle Rhoades Ha called the request an attempt to chill First Amendment journalism.

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