Blanche Warns on Doj Wall Street Journal Subpoenas Over Media Leaks
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that media members should not be surprised if they face doj subpoenas tied to national security-sensitive stories. He said the Justice Department is prioritizing leakers who share the nation’s secrets with reporters, and warned that witnesses with relevant information could be subpoenaed.
Todd Blanche on subpoenas
Blanche said prosecuting leakers is a priority for the administration. In his words, “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.” He also said, “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.”
That position puts reporters and their sources on notice in leak cases involving national security material. Blanche previously said in a news conference that the department would be moving forward with directly targeting reporters with subpoenas.
subpoenas
The reported Monday that it had received subpoenas back in March. The Journal said the subpoenas were tied to a Feb. 23 article about military officials warning President Donald Trump of the risks of carrying out military action against Iran. The reporting linked the subpoenas to source material around that article rather than to an open-ended dispute.
Trump later personally urged Blanche to more aggressively pursue leaks related to the war, according to the Journal. The paper also reported that Trump at one point slid Blanche a list of articles with a sticky note reading, “Treason.”
Bondi rescinds limits
The subpoena push lands after the Biden administration had set strict guidelines limiting compulsory legal action against reporters to last-resort situations when U.S. national security is imperiled. Then-Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded those guidelines last year, removing a formal constraint that had narrowed when prosecutors could use subpoenas against the press.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the department follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States. For reporters covering leaks, Blanche’s warning suggests the dispute is not limited to one article; it reaches the sources, witnesses and records that investigators decide to pursue next.
