The FBI has withdrawn a subpoena demanding records from USA TODAY that would identify readers of a February story about a southern Florida shootout that killed …
The FBI has withdrawn a subpoena demanding records from USA TODAY that would identify readers of a February story about a southern Florida shootout that killed two agents and wounded three others. The subpoena, issued as part of an investigation seeking to identify a child sexual exploitation offender, was withdrawn after investigators found the person through other means, according to a notice the Justice Department sent to USA TODAY’s attorneys Saturday. Charles Tobin, who represents Gannett, USA TODAY’s parent company, said the Justice Department’s decision to withdraw the subpoena should remind the Biden administration of the importance of an independent press. „The government’s own guidelines require the FBI to pursue alternative sources before subpoenaing a newspaper,“ Tobin said. „This is a reminder of why that restraint makes perfect sense.“ Withdrawal of the subpoena came on the same day that the Justice Department announced it will no longer secretly obtain reporters‘ records during leak investigations, a departure from a policy used by previous administrations to try to identify sources who provided journalists with classified information.
