Acting Attorney General (AG) Todd Blanche affirmed that members of the media “should not be surprised” if they receive subpoenas for information related to their sources on reports involving national-security matters.
"Prosecuting leakers who share our nation's secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration," Blanche stated, according to CBS News. "Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material.”
Blanche’s comments come after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly pursued investigations into the publication after President Donald Trump complained to the interim AG about media leaks in the wake of “Operation Epic Fury.”
According to WSJ, the outlet received grand jury subpoenas dated Mar. 4, 2026, requesting records of WSJ reporters.
The records requested pertain to a Feb. 23, 2026, article that revealed warnings from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, and other Pentagon officials about the risks of a prolonged military campaign against Iran.
Other media sources, such as Axios and The Washington Post, reported similar stories that day.
“The government’s subpoenas to The Wall Street Journal and our reporters represent an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering,” chief communications officer of Dow Jones and WSJ Publisher, Ashok Sinha, said. “We will vigorously oppose this effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting.”
Earlier this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also pursued another media outlet reporter. FBI agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, collecting her phone, laptops, Garmin watch, and portable hard drives as part of a probe into a government contractor who was later indicted for allegedly disseminating classified material.
In April 2025, then-AG Pam Bondi issued a memo that made it easier for prosecutors investigating leaks to the news media to subpoena records and journalist testimonies.
