{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-joins-schiff-senate-judiciary-committee-democrats-in-probing-justice-department-subpoenas-of-new-york-times-journalists-in-air-force-one-scandal/", "Welch Joins Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in Probing Justice Department Subpoenas of\u00a0New York Times\u00a0Journalists in Air Force One Scandal", "2026-07-28", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "www.welch.senate.gov", "welch", "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and every Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat in demanding the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) provide information related to the issuing of subpoenas to journalists at the New York Times, their family members, and third-party record providers in the aftermath of reporting by the newspaper on President Trump\u2019s new Air Force One.\n\nThe lawmakers are specifically probing the involvement of Acting Attorney General (AG) Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Jay Clayton, who is currently the nominee to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Clayton issued the subpoenas, including those the Justice Department withdrew after a judge scrutinized them late last week.\n\n\u201cThe Department\u2019s lack of transparency and aggressive action toward journalists \u2013 in this circumstance, seemingly directed by President Trump after he was upset by negative reporting \u2013 both follow this administration\u2019s clear pattern of pressuring news organizations, including several attempts by DOJ to subpoena or intimidate journalists,\u201d the Senators wrote in their letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.\n\nThe Judiciary Committee Democrats also highlighted how the subpoenas violate both foundational protections for press freedom and guidelines for DOJ lawyers laid out in the Justice Manual.\n\n\u201cSection 9-13.400 explicitly dictates that requested information must be \u2018essential\u2019 to an investigation or prosecution, and that subpoenas \u2018should not be used to obtain peripheral, nonessential, or speculative information.\u2019 Yet DOJ demanded records dating back to January 1, 2026,\u201d the Senators wrote, pointing to the overly broad scope of the subpoenas.\n\nThe inquiry also demands details on the steps that were taken prior to the issuance of the subpoenas, the factual basis for the orders, and decision-making that justified the inclusion of family members on the list of targeted individuals.\n\nSenators Welch and Schiff were joined on this letter by every Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat, including Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).\n\nRead and download the Senators\u2019 full letter to Acting AG Blanche.\n\nIn his nomination hearing earlier this month, Senator Welch grilled Blanche about whether he supported Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel\u2019s decision to issue subpoenas to New York Times reporters and his demands that journalists disclose confidential sources. In response to Senator Welch\u2019s question, Blanche admitted to authorizing the subpoenas.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-29T07:41:48Z", "2026-07-29T07:42:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-joins-schiff-senate-judiciary-committee-democrats-in-probing-justice-department-subpoenas-of-new-york-times-journalists-in-air-force-one-scandal/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7033799774944782, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}