The US Justice Department is under criticism for its growing use of subpoenas to compel journalists to disclose their sources. On Saturday, the New York Times identified freelance reporter Matthew Cole as the target of a subpoena issued by the administration of United States President Donald Trump. This subpoena relates to Cole's reporting on a secret 2019 military operation involving US Navy SEALs landing on North Korean shores.

Last September, Cole worked with the Times’s national correspondent Dave Philipps on the investigation into the covert mission. The subpoena follows a recent incident where the Trump administration subpoenaed several New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns regarding the president’s new Air Force One jet.

So far, 18 US service members have been killed and hundreds injured in related operations.

Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff criticized the Justice Department’s lack of transparency and aggressive actions toward journalists. They stated, “The Department’s lack of transparency and aggressive action toward journalists – in this circumstance, seemingly directed by President Trump after he was upset by negative reporting – both follow this administration’s clear pattern of pressuring news organisations, including several attempts by DOJ to subpoena or intimidate journalists.”

This development highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the press over investigative reporting.

Sources