The US Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to several reporters for The New York Times, demanding they testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. According to the newspaper, the department's actions are linked to recent articles about safety measures aboard the new presidential aircraft Air Force One (Boeing 747-8).

The subpoenas were served to journalists Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt. In their articles, based on anonymous sources, the authors claimed that Donald Trump, on the recommendation of the Secret Service, flew out of Turkey on the older government plane. The newspaper alleged that the new aircraft lacks certain defense systems, including anti-missile technology.

It is noted that before the articles were published, an FBI leadership representative contacted the editorial office asking to delay publication for national security reasons. However, he did not specify any details.

The newspaper's legal service criticized the Justice Department's actions, calling the visits by agents to press employees an attempt to pressure independent journalism and hinder informing the public about the expenditure of budget funds. The documents contain a general phrase about the need to testify 'in connection with an alleged violation of federal criminal law.'

The subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose nomination was previously proposed by the president for the post of Director of National Intelligence. Representatives of the White House and the Manhattan prosecutor's office have not officially commented on the situation so far.

Earlier it was reported that Trump arrived in Turkey for a NATO summit. During an interview, when asked by a journalist about the state of the ceasefire with Iran, Trump replied that he no longer considers it valid.

Source: podrobno.uz