The Trump administration has issued a subpoena to freelance New York Times reporter Matthew Cole as part of an investigation into reporting on a failed top-secret mission in North Korea.
According to a report by the New York Times, the subpoena, which had not previously been disclosed, was issued by federal prosecutors in Virginia and delivered to Cole’s residence in New York by FBI agents.
Prosecutors are reportedly seeking access to two years’ worth of the journalist’s communications and source information.
Responding to the development, Cole’s lawyer, David A. O’Neil, said the reporter would challenge the move and remain committed to protecting confidential sources.
“Matthew 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 not be intimidated from continuing that important work. 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 comes amid an intensified effort by the Trump administration to identify the sources of unauthorised leaks to the media.
Last month, the New York Times disclosed that some of its journalists had also received subpoenas during an investigation linked to reports concerning an aircraft gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar. Those subpoenas were later withdrawn by the Justice Department.
During court proceedings related to that case, Judge Arun Subramanian questioned whether prosecutors had followed the legal requirements before issuing subpoenas to journalists.
Earlier this year, the administration also sought records belonging to Wall Street Journal reporters as part of an inquiry into a February report on internal discussions regarding the possibility of a conflict with Iran.
Authorities also reportedly issued, and later withdrew, subpoenas involving reporters from the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal over national security-related reporting, while the home of a Washington Post journalist was reportedly searched.
President Donald Trump has maintained that the administration’s investigations are aimed at identifying government officials responsible for leaking classified information rather than targeting members of the media.
“We’re not after journalists. We’re after leakers,” Trump said.
