Nigerian Journal Sustainability Research

DOJ Targets Another NYT Reporter, This Time Over a Botched North Korea Operation

2026-08-03
A Subpoena Kept Secret for Months

The Trump administration has issued yet another subpoena to a New York Times journalist, this time targeting freelance reporter Matthew Cole over a story he co-wrote about a failed covert military mission in North Korea. The subpoena itself isn't new — it was quietly delivered to Cole's New York home in February by FBI agents, acting on behalf of federal prosecutors in Virginia — but it only became public knowledge when the Times revealed its existence over the weekend.

Prosecutors are demanding that Cole turn over roughly two years' worth of notes, contacts, and testimony in an effort to identify the confidential sources behind his reporting. The Times is footing the bill for Cole's legal defense, and his attorney, David A. O'Neil, said his client has no intention of complying, framing the fight as a defense of press freedom and the First Amendment.

What the Story Was About

Cole's reporting, published in 2025 alongside Times national correspondent Dave Philipps, examined a secret 2019 mission in which Navy SEALs attempted to land on North Korean shores to plant an electronic device capable of intercepting communications. According to the story, which relied on roughly two dozen unnamed sources, the operation collapsed when the SEALs encountered a North Korean boat and opened fire, killing several unarmed North Koreans aboard.

Part of a Rapidly Growing Pattern

This subpoena doesn't exist in isolation. Just weeks earlier, on July 10, the DOJ issued subpoenas to four separate Times journalists over their reporting on alleged security shortcomings involving Trump's new Air Force One, the jet donated by Qatar. Those subpoenas went further than usual, seeking phone records not just for the journalists themselves but for some of their family members, in an effort to trace leaks about Secret Service concerns and the aircraft's defensive capabilities. A federal judge overseeing that case pushed back hard on the government's legal reasoning, and the DOJ ultimately withdrew those subpoenas.

The Times has noted that it isn't the only outlet facing this kind of pressure. Both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have dealt with comparable subpoenas over their own national security reporting in recent months, and journalist Max Blumenthal reportedly had his phones seized in July as part of a related crackdown.

Trump's Own Justification

Trump has defended the administration's approach publicly, arguing the goal isn't to target journalists themselves but to root out government leakers. He has described those responsible for leaks in blunt terms, framing the effort as going after people he considers disloyal, and has suggested that identifying leakers sometimes requires pressuring journalists directly to name sources on national security matters.

Congressional and Press Pushback

The pattern has drawn sharp criticism from Senate Democrats, with Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff formally demanding transparency from the Justice Department over its use of subpoenas against reporters. They characterized the campaign as part of a broader effort to pressure news organizations, suggesting it followed Trump's own frustration with unfavorable coverage. Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander was similarly blunt, calling the Cole subpoena "another brazen and illegal attack" designed to deny the public access to important information, and warning of what he described as the administration's escalating campaign against journalists.

Where Things Stand

The Justice Department has not responded publicly to requests for comment on the Cole subpoena. For now, the case is shaping up as another test of how far the administration can go in compelling journalists to reveal sources on national security stories, with Cole's legal team signaling they intend to fight the demand rather than comply.

Sources