Senate Democrats Demand Answers from Todd Blanche Over Subpoenas Issued to New York Times Journalists
Senate Democrats on Monday pressed Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general and acting attorney general, regarding subpoenas he authorized against several New York Times journalists. In a letter led by Senator Adam B. Schiff of California, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned whether President Trump had pressured the Justice Department to issue the directives, which sought grand jury testimony and phone records following reporting on the security vulnerabilities of the jet that Qatar provided for use as Air Force One.
Allegations of Bad-Faith Tactics and Violations of Internal Standards
The Judiciary Committee Democrats argued that federal prosecutors breached internal departmental guidelines and engaged in bad-faith efforts to conceal notice while intimidating journalists and their families. The controversy centers on an investigation launched this month after The Times reported that federal officials harbored significant concerns regarding the security of President Trump’s plane. According to the letter, the Justice Department violated its own regulations for reasonable and timely notice by waiting more than a week to inform the publication of the phone record subpoenas, which spanned back to January 1.
Targeting of Relatives and Contested Comparisons to Eyewitness Observation
The oversight letter further alleged that prosecutors improperly targeted journalists’ relatives by subpoenaing the phone records of one reporter’s mother and the spouses of two others, violating guidance that limits such measures to essential information. Lawmakers also took issue with remarks made by Mr. Blanche to the Judiciary Committee, where he likened reporters receiving classified information to material witnesses of a car crash and stated prosecutors hoped to question them. Democrats asserted that this logic improperly conflated constitutionally protected news gathering and source protection with direct eyewitness observation, mirroring arguments made by The Times in a motion filed to quash the subpoenas.
Nomination Scrutiny Ahead of Judiciary Committee Vote
The mounting controversy surrounds Mr. Blanche’s pending confirmation, with a Judiciary Committee vote scheduled for Thursday to determine whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate. With Democrats united in opposition, Republicans require absolute cohesion, though Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have stated they remain undecided. Meanwhile, the Justice Department withdrew the subpoenas last week following scrutiny from a federal judge, and related confirmation proceedings for Jay Clayton—President Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence—unfolded concurrently as lawmakers continued to scrutinize department regulations and executive influence.
