WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn subpoenas that sought to compel reporters from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to testify before a federal grand jury, according to people familiar with the matter, reversing a rare move that had drawn criticism from press freedom advocates.
The subpoenas were issued as part of leak investigations involving national security matters, according to officials familiar with the cases. The journalists were not required to testify after the Justice Department rescinded the demands earlier this month following legal challenges by the news organizations, according to reports by The Washington Post and the Associated Press.
One subpoena targeted Ellen Nakashima, a national security reporter at The Washington Post. Three journalists from The Wall Street Journal also received grand jury subpoenas, according to people familiar with the matter. The purpose and scope of the underlying investigations have not been publicly disclosed, and officials have not explained why the subpoenas were withdrawn. Details remain unclear.
The Washington Post challenged the subpoena in sealed proceedings in federal court in Virginia, according to a Justice Department official familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal also sought to block the subpoenas through legal action, according to reports. None of the reporters ultimately appeared before the grand jury.
In a statement, a spokesperson for The Washington Post said the subpoena issued to Nakashima was “a clear violation of constitutionally guaranteed press freedom” and criticized efforts to compel journalists to participate in government investigations.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to discuss the specific subpoenas, citing grand jury secrecy rules. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday after an unrelated news conference, Blanche said leak investigations would continue. “Reporters are not our targets,” he said, while adding that officials entrusted with classified information must not disclose it without authorization.
Press freedom organizations welcomed the withdrawal but expressed concern about the initial decision to seek testimony from journalists. Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, described the subpoenas as “one of the most aggressive actions against a free and independent press in recent memory.”
The dispute emerged after the Justice Department revised internal leak-investigation policies. In 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded a Biden-era policy that had limited prosecutors’ ability to use subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants involving journalists in leak investigations.
As of Tuesday, the subpoenas had been withdrawn, the reporters had not testified, and the Justice Department had not publicly explained the decision.
