The Department of Justice has decided to withdraw subpoenas issued to several New York Times reporters as part of an investigation into reporting on President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One aircraft, federal prosecutors informed a judge Thursday, ending a legal dispute over the government’s efforts to compel journalists to testify.

The announcement came during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, where the court had been considering the newspaper’s request to invalidate the subpoenas directed at its reporters, according to MS NOW.

Earlier this month, on July 10, the Justice Department served subpoenas requiring several Times journalists to appear before a federal grand jury, according to the newspaper. Federal agents reportedly delivered some of those subpoenas directly to the reporters’ homes.

The subpoenas had been authorized by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, whom President Trump has nominated to serve as director of national intelligence.

The New York Times also reported earlier this week that the Justice Department had notified the newspaper that it had obtained subpoenas for phone and text message records from third-party telecommunications providers. According to the paper, one subpoena even sought records belonging to the mother of one of its reporters.

The federal investigation followed reporting by the Times concerning security issues involving President Trump’s newly acquired Air Force One aircraft, which had been donated by the government of Qatar.

In a July 8 report, the newspaper stated that Trump had flown from Turkey aboard the older Air Force One aircraft rather than the recently donated Boeing 747-8 because of heightened security concerns following renewed hostilities with Iran.

Citing individuals familiar with the aircraft, the Times also reported that “the new plane does not have all the features of the older plane” in terms of security.

Reacting to the subpoenas after they were issued, New York Times attorney David McCraw sharply criticized the Justice Department’s actions.

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, The Times’ lawyer, in a statement on July 11.

“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw said. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”

{Matzav.com}