New York Times reporters are subpoenaed after Air Force One stories, raising press freedom concerns
AP: The Department of Justice has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, marking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump ’s campaign against the media that has drawn condemnation for eroding a fundamental freedom of American democracy.
The new jet, a present from the U.S. ally that the administration spent $400 million on to retrofit and upgrade, entered service last week. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats against him made by Iran.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes. They were issued after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to talk about the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
It also said that before its first story was published, a senior official at the FBI contacted a reporter and editor to ask that the article be held, citing national security issues. The newspaper said that the FBI official declined to explain the security issue but asked The Times to disclose its sources for the story, which the Times said it refused to do.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement. -- nordy
Breaking News! “Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died on Saturday after a "brief and sudden" illness, his office said in a statement. He was 71.”
The Governor of South Carolina may appoint any qualified individual to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. Unlike some other states, South Carolina law does not require the appointee to be of the same political party as the previous Senator, nor does it require the Governor to choose from a list of recommendations provided by a political party. The only legal requirement is that the appointee must meet the constitutional qualifications to serve as a U.S. Senator: they must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and an inhabitant of South Carolina at the time of their election or appointment. The appointed Senator serves until the next scheduled general election (or the second succeeding one if the vacancy occurs less than 100 days before an election), at which point a special election is held to fill the remainder of the term.
New York Times reporters are subpoenaed after Air Force One stories, raising press freedom concerns
ReplyDeleteAP: The Department of Justice has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, marking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump ’s campaign against the media that has drawn condemnation for eroding a fundamental freedom of American democracy.
The new jet, a present from the U.S. ally that the administration spent $400 million on to retrofit and upgrade, entered service last week. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats against him made by Iran.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes.
They were issued after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to talk about the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
It also said that before its first story was published, a senior official at the FBI contacted a reporter and editor to ask that the article be held, citing national security issues. The newspaper said that the FBI official declined to explain the security issue but asked The Times to disclose its sources for the story, which the Times said it refused to do.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement. -- nordy
Heather Cox Richardson wrote about this in her evening Daily Letter!
DeleteBreaking News!
ReplyDelete“Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died on Saturday after a "brief and sudden" illness, his office said in a statement. He was 71.”
The Governor of South Carolina may appoint any qualified individual to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. Unlike some other states, South Carolina law does not require the appointee to be of the same political party as the previous Senator, nor does it require the Governor to choose from a list of recommendations provided by a political party.
DeleteThe only legal requirement is that the appointee must meet the constitutional qualifications to serve as a U.S. Senator: they must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and an inhabitant of South Carolina at the time of their election or appointment. The appointed Senator serves until the next scheduled general election (or the second succeeding one if the vacancy occurs less than 100 days before an election), at which point a special election is held to fill the remainder of the term.
SC Gov. Henry McMaster is term limited and will leave office after the 2026 election. He is a big Trump supporter.
DeleteBTW, Lindsey Graham only turned 71 on Thursday.