Air Force One Leak Leads to Investigation Targeting New York Times Journalists
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists following the publication of a report detailing security concerns surrounding the new U.S. presidential aircraft.
According to The New York Times, the subpoenas seek to compel the journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday.
The newspaper described the move as an unprecedented escalation in the intimidation and harassment of independent news organizations.
It also reported that federal agents personally delivered the subpoenas to the journalists’ homes.
The New York Times condemned the actions taken by the U.S. administration.
David McCraw, the newspaper’s chief legal counsel for the newsroom, said in a statement released Friday evening: “The appearance of federal law enforcement officers at journalists’ homes should shock the conscience of every American who believes in the Constitution and the freedom of the press it guarantees.”
He added: “Our journalists report the facts and uphold the American people’s right to know how their government is run and how taxpayers’ money is spent.” He continued: “This blatant action can only be viewed as an attempt to prevent the public from learning what is happening in their own country by intimidating journalists and discouraging them from carrying out their work.”
The newspaper stated that the five journalists who participated in reporting and uncovering the story are Tyler Pager, Eric Lipton, Adam Goldman, Eric Schmitt, and Julian E. Barnes.
Through these subpoenas, the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to compel the journalists to testify and surrender the materials in their possession in order to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible for leaking the sensitive security information.
The subpoenas provide very limited details, requiring only that the journalists appear to testify “regarding an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”
The subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for Manhattan, who heads one of the country’s most prominent federal law enforcement offices.
Clayton is also President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Director of National Intelligence.
In their reporting, the journalists revealed that the new presidential aircraft lacks the standard missile defense system and the defensive countermeasures against heat-seeking missiles that are installed on the older Air Force One.
This security vulnerability, combined with heightened security tensions and Iranian threats while President Trump was in Ankara attending the NATO Summit, prompted the U.S. Secret Service to intervene and require him to return aboard the older presidential aircraft as a precautionary measure.
