New York Times Fights Subpoenas Over Air Force One Coverage

Newspaper calls demand for reporters' records 'abusive' after report on the president's new plane

The New York Times has filed a motion to quash subpoenas issued to its reporters by the Trump administration following the paper's report on the new Air Force One, the Times reported Wednesday.

David McCraw, the paper's top newsroom lawyer, said in a statement that the subpoenas were "abusive" and unwarranted, according to The Hill. The filing sets up a legal fight over press protections and the government's ability to compel journalists to turn over reporting materials or testify about their sources.

The dispute stems from Times coverage of the aircraft that will serve as the next presidential plane, though further details of the underlying report were not disclosed. Subpoenas targeting journalists are relatively rare and typically draw scrutiny from press-freedom advocates, who argue they can chill investigative reporting by exposing confidential sources.

The Times' move to quash the subpoenas asks a court to invalidate them before any reporters would be compelled to comply. It was not immediately clear when a judge would rule on the motion or how the administration would respond to the newspaper's challenge.

— Compiled from reporting by The Hill.