US Domestic — 2026-06-24

Justice Department Issued Then Withdrew Grand Jury Subpoenas Seeking Sources Behind Washington Post and Wall Street Journal National Security Reporting

BLUFWithdrawal of these subpoenas is tactical, not principled; with Trump personally directing the leak-hunt docket, new compelled-disclosure process targeting journalists is likely by year-end 2026.

The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to four reporters covering national security, including Washington Post journalist Ellen Nakashima and three Wall Street Journal reporters 12. Both newsrooms challenged the orders in sealed proceedings in the Eastern District of Virginia, and the department withdrew all four subpoenas before any of the journalists testified 12. CNN reported, citing officials familiar with the matter, that Trump personally directed acting AG Todd Blanche to issue the subpoenas, handing him printed articles about the Iran war with "Treason" written in Sharpie 2. Blanche told CNN Tuesday that "reporters are not our targets" and that DOJ would continue investigating officials who disclosed classified information without authorization 2.

Analysis
The withdrawal closes the immediate legal threat while Blanche's confirmed continuation of leak investigations signals prosecutorial intent is intact. CNN reporting confirmed Trump personally directed the campaign, handing Blanche printed articles annotated "Treason" in Sharpie and expanding the target set from Wall Street Journal reporters to include Washington Post national security correspondent Ellen Nakashima. New legal process is likely by year-end 2026. High confidence in that assessment reflects convergent reporting from both affected newsrooms, the annotated articles, and the absence of any stated policy constraint preventing reissuance. DOJ may instead have withdrawn to avoid adverse EDVA precedent rather than conceding on leak prosecution, preserving optionality for a better-constructed subpoena. National security desks should sustain source-protection counsel on retainer and brief reporters on exposure thresholds before any cleared-official contact.

4 sources