Incident details
- Date of incident
- March 4, 2026
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Targets
- The Wall Street Journal
- Legal orders
-
-
subpoena
for
communications or work product
- March 4, 2026: Pending
-
subpoena
for
communications or work product
- Legal order target
- Institution
- Legal order venue
- Federal
Subpoena/Legal Order
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, at left, with FBI Director Kash Patel during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2026.
The Department of Justice obtained multiple subpoenas targeting The Wall Street Journal on March 4, 2026, as part of an internal leak investigation following reporting on the Iran war, the newspaper reported May 11.
According to the Journal, the grand jury subpoenas issued to the news outlet concerned a Feb. 23 article about warnings given to President Donald Trump about the risks of a prolonged military campaign against Iran.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker was unable to verify the number of subpoenas obtained, to whom they were issued and what information each sought.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, said in a statement: “The government’s subpoenas to The Wall Street Journal and our reporters represent an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering. We will vigorously oppose this effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting.”
Then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded Biden-era policies protecting journalists from becoming embroiled in federal leak investigations in April 2025.
After her removal from that position a year later, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made clear that the department would not hesitate to subpoena members of the press who receive classified information.
“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,” Blanche wrote in a May 12 statement on social media. “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 U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
