Justice Department defends subpoenas of Wall Street Journal reporters
The Justice Department defended itself after the Wall Street Journal revealed it has received subpoenas in connection with a leak investigation.
"Prosecuting leakers who share our nation's secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement shared with CBS News. "Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material."
The Wall Street Journal said on Monday the subpoenas, which it received March 4, relate to a Feb. 23 article that reported the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and others at the Pentagon had warned President Trump about the risks of an extended military campaign against Iran. Other news media outlets published similar stories around the same time.
The subpoenas demand records from Journal reporters, the paper said. A Justice Department official stressed that the subpoenas are not aimed at investigating the journalists themselves, but instead at tracking down government employees who are leaking classified information.
Nevertheless, the subpoenas appear to be an aggressive and unusual tactic that are likely to escalate tensions between the press and the Trump administration and raise further concerns over press freedoms.
Earlier this year, the FBI executed a search warrant at the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson where agents collected her phone, laptops, Garmin watch and portable hard drives as part of an investigation into a government contractor who was later indicted for allegedly disseminating classified material.