07/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/24/2026 15:20
Jul 24, 2026
Withdrawal Follows Gillibrand Grilling DNI Nominee Jay Clayton on the "Rushed, Aggressive" Manner in Which He Issued the Subpoenas
Today, in response to the Trump Justice Department withdrawing subpoenas it had issued to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns involving the Qatari plane used by the president for international travel, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement. The subpoenas were withdrawn after a federal judge rebuked administration attorneys for failing to comply with the law.
"It was clear from the beginning that the Trump administration's issuance of these subpoenas was hasty, intrusive, and meant to intimidate journalists just for doing their jobs. I am grateful that the court recognized these facts and held the administration accountable. The president cannot be allowed to exploit our legal system to try to stop reporting he doesn't like."
Last week, Senator Gillibrand grilled Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, about his issuance of the subpoenas in his current role as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. She emphasized that the process seemed "rushed, aggressive, with an unnecessary urgency" and pressed him on the fact that the subpoenas were served intrusively - in some cases at reporters' homes. She noted, "This doesn't sound like the proper independent legal process that we would normally expect for issuance of a subpoena."
###