Federal agents subpoena New York Times journalists over Trump plane security report
Multiple journalists from The New York Times received federal subpoenas after publishing a report on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump's new official aircraft.
Federal agents subpoena New York Times journalists over Trump plane security report
Several journalists from The New York Times have been served with subpoenas requiring them to appear before a federal grand jury next week, following the newspaper's reporting on security concerns related to President Donald Trump's new official aircraft. The paper's editorial staff announced the development on Saturday, according to Index.
Federal agents visited the journalists at their homes to deliver the official court documents. The subpoenas mandate their appearance before a federal grand jury in the coming week.
Neither the White House nor the Justice Department, which also functions as the federal prosecutor's office, had issued an official statement regarding the proceedings by Saturday.
David McCraw, an attorney for The New York Times, characterized the measure as intimidation. He called it "cause for concern for any American who believes in the Constitution and the freedom of the press that the Constitution protects."
The New York Times published a report earlier in the week, citing unnamed sources, that claimed President Trump had to travel from the NATO summit in Ankara on his older official aircraft because of security deficiencies in the new plane donated by Qatar. The newspaper wrote that the new Air Force One lacks the missile defense system present on the previous presidential aircraft.
President Trump traveled from Ankara to the Mildenhall air base in Britain aboard the older official plane, then transferred to the new aircraft for the return trip to the United States. He explained the switch by saying he wanted British service members at the air base to see the luxury Boeing 747, which Qatar had donated last year and which recently underwent a complete renovation including its security systems under American control.
The White House spokesperson denied that any security shortcomings had emerged around the new aircraft, asserting that it meets the highest standards guaranteeing the safety of the president and his staff.
Media reports about the aircraft's security have been linked in the American press to the renewed escalation of the American-Iranian conflict, including drone attacks by Iran against regional states, and the fact that the American president was in Turkey, which borders Iran. Additionally, at the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Iran, calls were made for the killing of the American president. President Trump responded to the Tehran threat on Wednesday by stating that he has long been at the top of Iran's target list.
Source: Index
Source: Index