Justice Department withdraws subpoenas that sought reporters' grand jury testimony

The Justice Department has withdrawn subpoenas that sought grand jury testimony from reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, according to reporting published Tuesday.

The move marks a retreat in a leak investigation that had drawn sharp criticism from press-freedom advocates and renewed concern about government efforts to compel journalists to testify about their sources.

What the subpoenas sought

The subpoenas were aimed at reporters working on national-security coverage, including Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima, AP reported. They sought testimony before a grand jury tied to the leak probe.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said reporters are not the direct targets of the investigation, but the subpoenas still prompted backlash over what critics saw as a threat to journalistic independence.

Background to the leak probe

The dispute comes after earlier aggressive steps in the same broader leak matter. In January, the FBI searched Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home and seized her devices, a move that intensified concern inside and outside the news industry.

The controversy also lands after Biden-era restrictions on secret government probing of journalists were rescinded in April, allowing more aggressive subpoena and warrant tools to be used in leak investigations.

What remains unclear

It was not immediately clear what reason the Justice Department gave for withdrawing the subpoenas, whether all journalist demands in the case were dropped, or whether the underlying investigation is still continuing through other means.

Press-freedom groups criticized the subpoenas as a danger to press independence, while the withdrawal suggests the Justice Department is backing away from at least one of its most contentious tactics in the case.