The New York Times will argue in federal court Thursday that the White House is misusing the legal system to intimidate its reporters. The dispute centers on subpoenas issued after a story about security concerns with a new Air Force One jet gifted by Qatar. The newspaper seeks to quash the subpoenas at a hearing in Manhattan.
The New York Times contends that the Trump administration violated First Amendment protections by delivering subpoenas to reporters' homes on July 10, just days after the initial story appeared. The paper's legal filings state that agents sought testimony and records from five reporters plus family members, including phone records from spouses and a mother, without prior notice to the newspaper's lawyers.
The Times argues that FBI Director Kash Patel personally oversaw the subpoenas from the White House, which it describes as an improper interference. Katherine Marsh, wife of reporter Julian E. Barnes, called the visits frightening and said they made her feel treated as an enemy of the state.
The Justice Department maintains that the subpoenas followed federal law and internal policy to investigate a national security breach rather than to hinder reporting. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton told the Senate last week that efforts were made to limit intrusion on the press.
The hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian is set for Thursday in a Manhattan federal courthouse. The Times is asking the judge to quash the subpoenas.
