Judge Backs DOJ Subpoena for 2 Years of Matthew Cole Contacts
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Judge Backs DOJ Subpoena for 2 Years of Matthew Cole Contacts
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Summary
Newly unsealed court records show a federal magistrate recommended letting the Justice Department enforce a subpoena against New York Times freelancer Matthew Cole in a leak investigation.
The subpoena seeks Cole’s testimony about 2 years of contacts and conversations as prosecutors try to identify sources for a 2025 article on a secret 2019 Navy SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea.
Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller wrote that prosecutors had shown a legitimate, tailored law-enforcement need for Cole’s testimony, rejecting arguments that this subpoena reflected broader anti-press misconduct.
The recommendation is not final: a district judge will hear the dispute next month in Newport News, Virginia, and any ruling could be appealed.