DOJ Subpoenas NYT Freelancer in North Korea Leak Probe — SkimNews
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- Matthew Cole, a freelance New York Times journalist, was subpoenaed in February by Virginia prosecutors seeking more than two years of his notes and his testimony, the newspaper reported on August 1, 2026.
- The Justice Department is probing the sourcing of a 2025 New York Times story that detailed how Navy SEALs killed several unarmed North Koreans during an early 2019 mission to plant a listening device near the country's coast.
- The 2025 article co-written by Cole cited two dozen unnamed sources, and the newspaper said it is paying for Cole's legal representation.
- New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander called the subpoena "another brazen and illegal attack from the administration designed to deny the public information of vital importance" and supported Cole's decision to disclose it publicly.
- A Justice Department spokesperson, without addressing Cole's case directly, said the DOJ "will use all available legal tools to uncover those who unlawfully disclose national defence information."
- Cole's attorney David A. O'Neil said Cole "will not be intimidated by efforts to suppress information that the administration considers unflattering," while the newspaper noted it could not be reached for independent verification beyond the Times' confirmation.
Why it matters: Prosecutors are demanding two years of a journalist's confidential notes tied to reporting on a classified 2019 SEAL operation that killed unarmed civilians — a direct clash with press-source protections. The Times publicly funding Cole's defense and his lawyer's defiant statement signal an escalating First Amendment fight over how far leak probes can reach into reporter files.
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