FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New York, May 12, 2026 — The Wall Street Journal revealed yesterday that the Department of Justice sent grand jury subpoenas to the paper, demanding records of its journalists related to reporting about the lead-up to the Iran war. In recent months, prosecutors have also sent subpoenas to other media organizations, and to email and phone providers seeking information in leak inquiries, according to sources who spoke to the Journal.
The following can be attributed to Freedom of the Press Foundation Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern:
“The government’s investigation of The Wall Street Journal has nothing to do with ‘national security.’ It’s an outrageous attempt to silence sources, intimidate journalists, and bury the truth about President Trump’s unpopular decision to launch a war even his own generals warned against.
“We’ve seen this cowardly script before. ‘National security’ was a lie when the government tried to stop journalists from publishing the Pentagon Papers to cover up its failures, and it’s a lie now.
“These subpoenas are a direct threat to the public’s right to know, and the Journal is correct to fight them. Since the Department of Justice has abandoned the First Amendment, it’s up to the courts to restrain the government’s attempts to crush investigative journalism.
“Journalists at every news outlet across the U.S. must also harden their digital defenses now, to protect their sources from an administration obsessed with silencing critics and dismantling the free press.”
Please contact us if you would like further comment.
