DOJ pledges to no longer seize reporters’ records; White House says it was unaware of NYT gag order

The Justice Department (DOJ) on Saturday said it will no longer secretly obtain reporters’ records during investigations into leaks of classified information, after the New York Times revealed that it had been the subject of a gag order amid a court fight over efforts to obtain its reporters’ email records.

"Going forward, consistent with the President’s direction, this Department of Justice – in a change to its longstanding practice – will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs," DOJ spokesperson Anthony Coley said. "The Department strongly values a free press, protecting First Amendment values, and is committed to taking all appropriate steps to ensure the independence of journalists." The practice of using court orders to obtain records has been used by multiple administrations, both Republican and Democrat, as they sought to root out the sources of leaked classified information to the media. News organizations had criticized the practice, warning that it chills press freedom and is an infringement on the First Amendment.