- The
Washington Post reported that theTrump DOJ secretly pulled three of their reporters' phone records in 2017. - The three reporters had been covering
Russia 's influence in the 2016 election.
In the early days of the Trump administration, the Justice Department covertly pulled phone records from several Washington Post journalists and also tried to source their email records, according to government letters sent to the reporters and reviewed by The Post.
The reporters were looking into Russia's influence in the 2016 elections.
The Post reported that in three separate letters dated May 3 and addressed to reporters Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller, and former reporter Adam Entous, the DOJ told the reporters, they were, "hereby notified that pursuant to legal process the United States
The letters said that the records included their personal, work, or home phone numbers and allegedly did not include any information about whether Justice Department leadership approved the subpoena.
"While rare, the Department follows the established procedures within its
"We are deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists," The Post's acting executive editor Cameron Barr told the outlet. "The Department of Justice should immediately make clear its reasons for this intrusion into the activities of reporters doing their jobs, an activity protected under the First Amendment."
This story is developing. Check back for updates.