Washington’s power corridors buzzed Friday with news that’d make any reporter’s stomach churn: the U.S. Justice Department, under fresh Trump administration orders, has yanked a Biden-era shield protecting journalists’ records. Now, prosecutors sniffing out leaks can subpoena phone logs, emails, and testimony from the press with fewer roadblocks, a move that’s got newsrooms on edge and free-speech advocates spitting nails.
The shift, spelled out in a memo that surfaced April 25, torches a policy from the Biden years that slammed the brakes on grabbing reporters’ records in most cases. That old rule came after a firestorm over secret subpoenas during Trump’s first term, when the Justice Department quietly scooped up data on journalists and even congressional staffers chasing national security leaks. Back then, the backlash was fierce—think editorials screaming “press freedom under siege.” Biden’s team swore to tighten the leash, and they did. Until now.
Under the new directive, the department’s stance is clear: leaks, especially those tied to classified info or anything that “undermines” administration goals, are fair game for aggressive probes. This isn’t just about chasing spies spilling secrets; it could rope in whistleblowers or sources dishing on policy flops. The memo, which Reuters got a peek at, doesn’t mince words—prosecutors have a green light to dig deep, and journalists might be in the crosshairs.
The timing’s no accident. Just this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired off warnings about possible criminal charges for ex-advisers canned over leak suspicions. That’s got folks whispering about a broader crackdown, one where the press could get squeezed hard. Some worry it’s a throwback to the days when reporters’ sources dried up, scared silent by the threat of government snooping.
Advocates for open government are sounding alarms. One group, the Reporters Committee, put it blunt: landmark scoops like Watergate or post-9/11 wiretapping revelations leaned on confidential sources. Without ironclad protections, they argue, the public’s left in the dark. “The free flow of info takes a hit,” their president, Bruce Brown, said in a statement Friday. No one’s saying the sky’s falling yet, but the mood’s grim.
The Justice Department’s pivot isn’t a total free-for-all. There’s still oversight—prosecutors need high-level sign-offs to chase media records. But the bar’s lower now, and that’s what’s got newsrooms sweating. Last month, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche hinted at this harder line, vowing to probe a leak of what he called sensitive intelligence on a Venezuelan gang. That’s the kind of case where reporters’ notes could end up in a federal file.
For now, the department’s keeping mum on specifics. No official announcement’s dropped, just the memo, which landed like a brick through a window. It’s a stark reminder: in Washington, the rules can shift fast, and the press often catches the fallout. As of April 25, the policy’s in effect, and prosecutors are already eyeing their next moves.