NYT files motion to block federal subpoenas to reporters

The New York Times has filed a legal motion to block federal grand jury subpoenas served on several of its reporters, escalating a significant conflict between the news organization and the Justice Department over press freedoms and leak investigations. The motion, filed on July 15, 2026, seeks to quash subpoenas delivered to reporters' homes on July 11, which ordered them to testify about their confidential sources regarding security concerns on a new presidential aircraft.

The subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, shortly after the newspaper published reporting on security deficiencies in a new Air Force One jet donated by Qatar and retrofitted for presidential use. The articles, published in early July, reported that the aircraft lacked certain advanced security features, such as anti-missile capabilities, found on the older model. The reporting indicated these concerns led President Donald Trump to use the older aircraft for a trip from a NATO summit in Turkey the week of July 6.

In a statement, David McCraw, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for The New York Times, called the subpoenas abusive,...