Justice Department Withdraws Subpoenas for Journalists

Subpoenas for reporters to appear before a grand jury are highly unusual. In this instance, journalists from The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal were summoned, although they ultimately did not provide testimony.

On June 23, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EDT, a report indicated that the Justice Department sought to compel these reporters to testify before a federal grand jury. This took place at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Justice Department’s decision to issue subpoenas to these journalists marked an extraordinary measure. However, these efforts were retracted earlier this month after facing objections from the involved news organizations. A Justice Department official familiar with the situation provided this update.