The New York Times reports that a Virginia subpoena was delivered by FBI agents to freelance reporter Matthew Cole, seeking two years of his contacts and source records after his reporting on a failed, top-secret U.S. mission in North Korea. Cole's lawyer vowed to defend press freedom and protect sources. The move is part of a broader administration effort to investigate leaks, which has included other subpoenas and contested court proceedings. Some prior subpoenas were later withdrawn amid judicial scrutiny.
FBI Delivers Subpoena To NYT Freelance Reporter Over Coverage Of Secret U.S. Mission In North Korea
New York Times reporters have also recently been subpoenaed for their reporting on Donald Trump's Qatari-gifted aircraft.Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters
The Trump administration has issued a subpoena to freelance reporter Matthew Cole of The New York Times in connection with his reporting on a failed, top-secret U.S. mission in North Korea, the newspaper reported.
According to the Times, prosecutors in Virginia issued the previously unreported court demand, and FBI agents delivered it to Cole's New York home. The subpoena seeks two years of records detailing Cole's contacts and source information.
Cole's attorney, David A. O'Neil, said his client has devoted his career to exposing official misconduct and informing the public about government actions. O'Neil added that Cole "will not be intimidated" and that he intends to defend press freedom, the First Amendment, and his commitments to confidential sources.
'Cole has dedicated his professional life to bringing official misconduct to light and informing the public about the workings of its government,' O'Neil said. 'He will defend press freedom and the First Amendment from this administration's brazen attacks on journalists, and he will honor his commitment to his sources.'
The subpoena is the latest element in a broader push by the Trump administration to investigate unauthorized disclosures to the press. Last month, The New York Times reported that its journalists had been subpoenaed in a leak probe tied to reporting about the aircraft President Trump received as a gift from Qatar; the Justice Department later withdrew those subpoenas.
During that matter, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian of the Southern District of New York pressed government attorneys on whether prosecutors had satisfied the legal standards required before issuing subpoenas to journalists.
Separately, prosecutors sought records from Wall Street Journal reporters as part of an effort to identify sources behind a February article describing White House discussions about the risks of a war with Iran. Federal subpoenas to reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have also been reported — some later withdrawn — and authorities reportedly searched the home of a Washington Post journalist.
The president has maintained that these actions target government leakers rather than members of the press, telling reporters: 'We're not after journalists. We're after leakers.'
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