White House sought phone records of New York Times journalists

The Trump administration sought phone records belonging to several New York Times journalists, as well as some of their relatives, according to court filings unsealed Monday. The effort is described as an unusually aggressive attempt to identify confidential sources who reported on a story concerning the presidential Air Force One jet, gifted by Qatar.

The administration's push to compel reporters to reveal their sources and expand the scope of subpoenas occurred during a period of already contentious relations between the executive branch and the press. The New York Times stated the efforts were more expansive than previously known and covered a timeframe that extended beyond the specific news articles in question.

Lawyers for the journalists expressed concern that the government was using the investigation to map out source relationships more broadly, rather than focusing solely on issues arising from the published articles. This concern was amplified as some records requests spanned a period beginning long before the events reported.

The Justice Department justified its actions, stating that reporters are not the targets but that individuals leaking classified information are. While the department maintained it followed its own protocols and took the least intrusive steps possible, The New York Times accused the administration of acting in "bad faith" and disregarding its own internal regulations.