Psaki says 'no one at White House' aware of Justice Department's gag order on NYT subpoenas

The Justice Department began an ultimately unsuccessful "secret legal battle" under the Trump administration to obtain the email logs of four New York Times reporters in the hopes of identifying their sources and continued it after President Biden took office, the Times reported Friday, citing David McCraw, a top lawyer for the paper.
The department finally told a "handful" of Times executives about the effort once Biden was in the office, but, in what McCraw described as an "unprecedented" move, officials imposed a gag order (which has been lifted by a federal court) on the situation "to shield it from public view."
On Saturday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said "no one at the White House was aware of the gag order until Friday night," explaining that the Justice Department acts independently "in specific criminal cases." She added that although the White House "doesn't intervene in … investigations, the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters … is not consistent with the president's policy direction to the department."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Psaki noted that the Justice Department on Saturday confirmed it will halt the practice. Biden has previously said secretly seizing reporters' records was "simply, simply wrong," prompting some observers to ponder whether the change would have come about if CNN's Kaitlin Collins hadn't asked him to clarify his stance on the matter last month, Read more at The New York Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 31, 2025
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - improper ideology, robot replacements, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Local elections 2025: where are they and who is on course to win?
The Explainer Reform UK predicted to make large gains, with 23 councils and six mayoralties up for grabs
By The Week UK Published
-
What is Starmer's £33m plan to smash 'vile' Channel migration gangs?
Today's Big Question PM lays out plan to tackle migration gangs like international terrorism, with cooperation across countries and enhanced police powers
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Mark Carney calls snap election
speed read Voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published