Trump Administration Sought Phone Records of Times Journalists and Their Relatives

Key Points:

• The Trump administration sought phone records of several New York Times journalists and their relatives, including a reporter’s mother, to identify confidential sources behind articles about security flaws in President Trump’s new Air Force One jet.
• The Justice Department issued subpoenas to phone service providers for journalists’ call and text records, supplementing earlier subpoenas that compelled reporters to testify before a federal grand jury.
• The aggressive investigation, overseen by FBI director Kash Patel at the White House’s direction, was triggered by The Times’ reporting on federal concerns about the jet’s security, which angered President Trump.
• The New York Times has filed a motion to quash the subpoenas, describing the government’s actions as an unorthodox attempt to unmask independent journalists’ sources; the motion was unsealed by a Manhattan federal judge.
• The White House deferred comment to the Justice Department, which has not responded, while The Times declined to comment beyond their legal filing.