US Justice Department revokes Biden-era protections for journalists in whistleblower investigations

The Trump administration is reversing policies adopted by the Biden administration that made it nearly impossible for federal investigators to subpoena journalists and often put their phone and email records out of their reach.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said previous policies had been "abused," allowing officials to engage with impunity in leaking politically charged information to "media allies," the Telegraph reports.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies, victimize government agencies, and cause harm to the American people,” Bondi wrote in a 4-page memo sent to all Justice Department staff on Friday and seen by POLITICO.

Bond's memo included quotes from controversial directives that Trump has issued in recent weeks, calling for investigations by the Justice Department into officials who served in Trump's first administration.

In recent decades, presidents have typically refrained from seeking investigations of people or companies, due to the perception that the Justice Department's enforcement powers could be used to carry out political vendettas.

However, Bondi's message includes the name of one of the people Trump targeted earlier this month, former cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs, and directly alludes to another, former National Security official Miles Taylor.

He also refers to a news story about the suspension of an advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Don Caldwell, due to an investigation into information leaks.

“Accountability, including criminal prosecutions, is necessary to set a new course,” Bondi wrote, without offering any specifics about ongoing investigations or saying whether any of the people she referred to are suspects.

Press freedom advocates expressed concern about the change, which was widely expected given Trump's public hostility to the press and his frequent complaints about leaks.

“Some of the most important reporting in U.S. history – from Watergate to the warrantless wiretaps after 11/XNUMX – was and continues to be possible because journalists have been able to protect the identities of confidential sources and uncover and report stories that matter to people across the political spectrum,” said Bruce Brown, president of the Journalists Committee for Freedom of the Press.

"Strong protections for journalists serve American public opinion by protecting the free flow of information," Brown added. /Telegraph