Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists who reported security concerns around new Air Force One

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — Four New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding a Qatari-gifted jet serving as the new Air Force One have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department, the news outlet reported Friday.

The journalists –– Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt –– have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, according to the Times, which noted federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to reporters’ homes.

Times attorney David McCraw condemned the move in a statement included in the outlet’s report Friday.

“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,” McCraw said.

CNN has reached out to The White House, the US attorney in Manhattan’s office and The New York Times.

The subpoenas came after the Times reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump left Turkey this week on the old Air Force One over security concerns from the Secret Service. CNN reported Thursday that security personnel felt more comfortable with the president aboard the older vessel — which was built from scratch with Trump’s safety in mind — rather than the plane that had recently been retrofitted after it was donated by Qatar.

The Times reported a senior FBI official contacted them to request that the Wednesday story not be published over a national security issue, but the official declined to say what the issue was. The subpoenas issued Friday also lack detail, the Times reported, saying the journalists are being asked to testify “in regard to an alleged violation of criminal law.”

The outlet said the subpoenas were issued by Southern District of New York US Attorney Jay Clayton, who was nominated by Trump last month to be the next director of national intelligence.

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