The US Justice Department has withdrawn subpoenas issued to journalists from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal who were ordered to appear before a grand jury as part of a national security leak investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.
The subpoenas had raised concerns among press freedom advocates, who viewed them as an unusual attempt to compel journalists to assist a criminal investigation.
The move formed part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on alleged national security leaks. Earlier this year, the campaign included an FBI search of the home of a Washington Post reporter and the seizure of her electronic devices.
The Washington Post confirmed that one of its journalists had received a subpoena, while reporters at The Wall Street Journal were also served with similar legal orders. The government later withdrew the subpoenas, although officials did not explain the reason for the decision.
Authorities have not disclosed which reports or disclosures prompted the investigation.
In an internal email, Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said the subpoena issued to national security reporter Ellen Nakashima had been withdrawn. Nakashima has reported extensively on issues including the Iran conflict and US military operations in the Caribbean.
The newspaper strongly criticised the initial action.
“The unwarranted subpoena of our reporter Ellen Nakashima was a clear violation of constitutionally guaranteed press freedom,” a spokesperson for The Washington Post said, adding that the newspaper would continue to defend its journalists and First Amendment rights.
The Wall Street Journal did not immediately comment.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to discuss details of the case, citing grand jury secrecy rules, but defended efforts to investigate unauthorised disclosures of classified information.
He said journalists were not the targets of such investigations but stressed that authorities had a responsibility to prevent the leaking of sensitive national security information.
“There’s tension there,” Blanche said, referring to the balance between press freedom and the protection of classified material.
Press freedom organisations condemned the subpoenas. National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr described the move as “one of the most aggressive actions against a free and independent press in recent memory”.
He argued that journalists had come close to being forced into criminal investigations simply for carrying out their reporting duties.
The Justice Department has long maintained internal guidelines governing leak investigations involving the media. While previous administrations have occasionally used subpoenas and court orders to identify sources in national security cases, attempts to compel journalists to testify before a grand jury remain rare.
In April 2025, then Attorney General Pam Bondi reversed protections that had limited government access to journalists’ records in leak investigations, restoring broader powers to use subpoenas and search warrants, according to Justice Department guidance.
Earlier this year, FBI agents also searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of a separate investigation involving alleged leaks of classified information.
