DOJ issues grand jury subpoenas to Wall Street Journal for records related to Iran war coverage
On March 4, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice issued grand jury subpoenas to the Wall Street Journal and individual reporters seeking records related to coverage of Pentagon warnings to President Trump about the February 2026 Iran war. The WSJ publicly disclosed the subpoenas on May 11, 2026, and stated it would 'vigorously oppose' them.
Dates: Subpoenas issued March 4, 2026; publicly disclosed May 11, 2026; ultimately withdrawn in early June 2026 (see rec_034). Individuals and organizations: Wall Street Journal (institutional); multiple individual WSJ reporters; Dow Jones & Company; DOJ; AG Pam Bondi (issued under her tenure); subsequently Acting AG Todd Blanche (defended publicly). What happened: The DOJ issued grand jury subpoenas to the Wall Street Journal seeking communications and work product related to the paper's February 23, 2026 article 'Pentagon Flags Risks of a Major Operation Against Iran' and related coverage. The WSJ disclosed the subpoenas on May 11, 2026, reporting that President Trump had personally complained about the Iran coverage and pushed DOJ to escalate leak investigations. On May 12, Acting AG Blanche defended the subpoenas publicly. Dow Jones spokesperson Ashok Sinha said the subpoenas 'represent an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering.' Legal authority used: Federal grand jury subpoenas under Rule 17, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Outcome: Subpoenas were challenged by WSJ in sealed proceedings and ultimately withdrawn in early June 2026 alongside related testimony subpoenas (see rec_034 for the consolidated withdrawal). Why it matters: Confidential sources were at issue. The records subpoenas were the first publicly disclosed step in the larger Iran-leak probe that escalated to testimony subpoenas against Nakashima and three WSJ reporters. The matter illustrated how rapidly the Bondi-memo framework could be deployed.