Justice Department Efforts to Identify Sources Behind Reporting on Trump’s Qatari-Gifted Air Force One Extended to Reporters’ Spouses and One Journalist’s Mother
President Donald Trump’s administration sought phone records connected to several New York Times journalists and members of their families as part of an escalating effort to identify confidential sources behind reporting on the president’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One.
The broader scope of the investigation was revealed in a New York Times court filing unsealed Monday. The subpoenas sought records linked not only to reporters but also to two journalists’ spouses and the mother of another reporter.
The newspaper argued that the Justice Department’s demands went well beyond the July articles at the center of the leak investigation. Some subpoenas sought records dating back to Jan. 1, 2026, months before the reporting in question.
That expanded time frame suggests the department may be attempting to examine the journalists’ source relationships more broadly, attorneys for the Times said.
Times Accuses Justice Department of Fishing for Sources
The phone-record demands followed grand jury subpoenas served July 10 on three Times reporters. Those subpoenas sought testimony about the identities of confidential sources connected to stories published July 8 and 9.
The reporters covered concerns about a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and retrofitted for presidential use. The Times reported that the newer aircraft lacked some of the advanced defensive and security systems installed on the older Air Force One fleet.
The Trump administration reportedly spent about $400 million upgrading the aircraft before it entered service. Trump later used an older Air Force One to depart a NATO summit in Turkey, a switch the Times said came at the recommendation of the Secret Service.
Trump denied that security concerns prompted the change.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian temporarily froze enforcement of the phone-record subpoenas while considering the Times’ request to quash them. Arguments concerning the grand jury subpoenas are scheduled for Thursday.
Subpoenas Reached Reporters’ Family Members
The additional subpoenas sought records connected to one reporter’s mother and the spouses of two journalists.
The Times said the mother is a mental health professional whose work involves confidential client relationships. One spouse serves as general counsel for a law firm.
Attorneys for the newspaper accused the government of abusing the grand jury process, disregarding First Amendment protections and failing to follow Justice Department rules intended to limit investigations involving journalists.
The Times also argued that federal investigators failed to provide proper notice and sought the records before conducting a sufficiently thorough investigation.
Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said during a recent confirmation hearing that officials followed required procedures and used the least intrusive available methods.
The Times said the newly disclosed subpoenas raise questions about the accuracy of those claims.
Justice Department Defends Investigation
The Justice Department said Tuesday that it followed its regulations and completed other investigative steps before issuing the subpoenas.
Government attorneys said some family members’ phone numbers appeared in law enforcement databases as being associated with the journalists. The department said it would abandon any subpoena involving a number investigators determine was not used by one of the reporters.
Federal officials have maintained that the journalists are not targets of the investigation. The department said it is instead attempting to identify people who may have unlawfully disclosed classified information.
The newspaper, however, described the subpoenas as an unusually broad attempt to expose confidential sources and intimidate reporters engaged in national security coverage.
Press Freedom Fight Continues
The dispute comes amid growing conflict between the Trump administration and major news organizations.
Earlier this year, federal agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter and seized electronic devices as part of another leak investigation. The administration has also pursued lawsuits, restricted reporters’ access and publicly threatened news organizations over unfavorable coverage.
The Associated Press continues to challenge the White House’s decision to restrict its access to presidential events after the news organization declined to exclusively adopt Trump’s preferred name, “Gulf of America,” for the Gulf of Mexico.
The San Antonio Observer has previously reported on the administration’s efforts to pressure news organizations over war coverage and its expanded restrictions on journalists working inside the Pentagon.
