The US Justice Department issued and later withdrew subpoenas that had sought to compel reporters from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to appear before a grand jury in connection with a leak investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.
The move involved rare legal pressure on journalists, prompting concerns among press freedom advocates. The subpoenas were part of a broader crackdown on alleged national security leaks under the Trump administration, which earlier this year also included an FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home and the seizure of her electronic devices.
The Washington Post confirmed that one of its journalists had been served with a subpoena. Reporters at The Wall Street Journal also received similar legal orders, according to sources, though the government later withdrew them. The reason for the reversal was not immediately clear.
The subpoenas reportedly formed part of a wider investigation into leaks, but officials have not specified which reporting triggered the action.
In an internal email, Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray said the subpoena targeting national security reporter Ellen Nakashima had been withdrawn. Nakashima has covered issues including the Iran war and US military operations in the Caribbean.
The newspaper strongly criticised the initial move.
“The unwarranted subpoena of our reporter Ellen Nakashima… was a clear violation of constitutionally guaranteed press freedom,” a Washington Post spokesperson said, adding that the outlet would continue to defend its journalists and First Amendment rights.
The Wall Street Journal did not immediately comment.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to discuss the case, calling it a grand jury matter, but defended the broader effort to investigate national security leaks.
He said journalists are not the targets of such investigations, but added that officials have a duty to stop the unauthorized sharing of classified information. “There’s tension there,” he said, noting the government’s responsibility to protect sensitive material.
Press freedom groups sharply criticised the subpoenas. National Press Club president Mark Schoeff Jr. said the move represented “one of the most aggressive actions against a free and independent press in recent memory,” arguing that reporters were close to being forced into criminal investigations for doing their jobs.
The Justice Department has long maintained internal rules governing how it handles media leak investigations, but past administrations have sometimes used subpoenas and court orders to identify sources in national security cases. However, compelling journalists to testify before a grand jury remains extremely rare.
In April 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi rolled back earlier protections that had limited government access to journalists’ records during leak probes, restoring broader authority to use subpoenas and search warrants in such cases, according to department guidance.
Earlier this year, FBI agents also searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of a separate leak investigation involving classified material.