DOJ Subpoenas Four Times Reporters Over Qatar Plane Security Story

Federal subpoenas landed Friday on four New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 now flying as Air Force One.

The Justice Department served subpoenas on four New York Times journalists on Friday.
The subpoenas followed a Times report detailing security risks tied to a Boeing 747 gifted to the U.S. by Qatar that has entered presidential service.
The Times confirmed the subpoenas and said it would fight them in court.
The move represents one of the more aggressive press actions by the current DOJ against a major outlet.
The Qatar-sourced aircraft entered Air Force One service earlier this year amid bipartisan questions about the propriety of the foreign gift.

The Justice Department issued subpoenas Friday to four journalists at The New York Times, targeting reporters who contributed to a story examining security vulnerabilities in a Boeing 747 accepted as a gift from Qatar and recently placed into Air Force One service.

The Times confirmed receipt of the subpoenas and said the paper intends to resist them legally, calling the action a threat to press freedom and source protection.

The DOJ has not publicly named the four journalists or specified what information it is seeking. The Hill reported the subpoenas Friday afternoon, citing the paper's statement.

The underlying Times report raised concerns about the airworthiness vetting and counterintelligence review of the Qatari-origin aircraft — a process that drew scrutiny from members of both parties when the gift was first announced.

Federal subpoenas directed at reporters seeking to compel disclosure of sources or unpublished materials require Justice Department sign-off under current department guidelines, a process that was tightened under prior administrations following earlier leak prosecutions.

The plane in question is a 747-8, originally configured as a VIP transport. It has not yet received its formal Air Force One livery.