NY Times investigative reporter subpoenaed by DOJ for testimony

Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, was subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice on July 10, 2026, ordering him to appear in a New York City courtroom five days later.

The Times reported that Lipton was one of several of its reporters subpoenaed that day.

The journalists had reported days prior that, after taking his new Qatari-donated Air Force One on its maiden voyage, President Donald Trump reverted to the former plane at the urging of the Secret Service. Subsequent reporting revealed that the new plane was not outfitted with the same defensive countermeasures.

Both articles cited sources who only agreed to discuss sensitive security issues on the condition of anonymity.

The Times reported that, prior to the first article publishing, a senior FBI official asked the newspaper to hold it, citing national security but declining to elaborate on the nature of the security issue. The official also asked the Times to identify its sources for the article; the newspaper refused.

FBI Director Kash Patel was tapped to oversee a leak investigation into the Times’ reporting, the newspaper reported. In a major departure from precedent, Patel ran his investigation from the White House and briefed senior administration officials.

The subpoenas, issued by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, were vague, according to the Times, only compelling testimony “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”

Clayton was nominated by Trump on June 11 to serve as director of national intelligence.

In a statement shared with the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, the Times denounced the subpoenas and the federal government’s decision to serve some of the reporters at their homes.

“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,” wrote David McCraw, the Times’s top newsroom lawyer.

“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw continued. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”

A Justice Department spokesperson told the Times that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

“We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but D.O.J. also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information,” said spokesperson Emily Covington. “We recognize there may always be natural tension there, but we are not going to ignore the law.”

In an email sent to Times staff, and shared with the Tracker, Executive Editor Joseph Kahn called the subpoenas impulsive, and a naked attempt to intimidate the newspaper and its reporters, as well as the media as a whole. He added that the Times will “mount a full defense of our staff.”

“We expect to prevail. We have the best legal team in the business,” he wrote. “The law protects news gatherers from this sort of retaliatory abuse of prosecutorial power. It is essential that the courts reaffirm that protection and quash this overreach. We are confident they will in this case.”

An additional Times reporter, London-based Adam Goldman, is also expected to receive a subpoena in connection with the leak investigation, according to Kahn’s email.