U.S. Justice Department subpoenas New York Times journalist in North Korea leak probe

The Justice Department ​has subpoenaed the records of a freelance journalist for ‌the New York Times as part of a ​probe into the sourcing of ⁠a 2025 story about a botched U.S. military operation in North Korea, the newspaper said on Saturday (August 1, 2026).

Freelancer Matthew Cole was subpoenaed in February by Virginia prosecutors seeking more than two years’ worth of his notes as well as his testimony, according to the newspaper. Reuters could ⁠not immediately independently verify the information, but a spokesman for the Times said Mr. Cole is disclosing the subpoena.

“We support ​Matthew Cole’s decision ‌to make public a subpoena that the government has attempted to keep secret,” New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in an ‌emailed statement.

The story co-written by Mr. Cole detailed how ​Navy SEALs in early 2019 killed several unarmed North Koreans during a ⁠mission to plant a listening device near the country’s coast, citing two dozen unnamed sources.

A spokesperson for ‌the Justice Department did not address Mr. Cole’s specific case, but said that the DOJ “will use all available legal tools to uncover those who unlawfully disclose national defence information.”

Stadtlander called the subpoena of Mr. Cole “another brazen and illegal attack from ‌the administration designed to deny the public information of ​vital importance.”

The New York Times article said the newspaper is paying for Mr. Cole’s ⁠legal representation. Cole’s reporting “helps the public understand what the government ⁠is doing in its name,” said his attorney, David A. O’Neil. “He will not ‌be intimidated by efforts to suppress information that the administration considers unflattering,” O’Neil said.