Investigations and Harassment

House of Representatives committee subpoenas media outlet

The House Ways and Means Committee subpoenaed nonprofit news outlet BreakThrough News as part of an investigation into “whether existing legal standards governing tax-exempt status adequately account for foreign influence and control.” Two other nonmedia organizations were also subpoenaed. The subpoena sought financial records and internal communications, BreakThrough News said. They added that they have never received money from a foreign actor: “Their goal is to saddle us with legal proceedings and hostile media to drain our time and resources.”

FBI launches leak investigation into sources for unflattering Atlantic story

The FBI launched a leak investigation over an Atlantic report about director Kash Patel’s “episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences,” according to MS NOW. An FBI spokesperson denied that it was investigating the magazine or the journalist behind the reporting, Sarah Fitzpatrick. The alleged investigation follows Patel’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic. The magazine has defended its reporting, which was based on several current and former anonymous officials.

More from Poynter:

• The Atlantic isn’t backing down
• Kash Patel sued The Atlantic. Can he actually win?
• After an explosive report on his conduct, FBI Director Kash Patel threatens to sue The Atlantic

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues The New York Times

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The New York Times for allegedly discriminating against a white male employee who did not get a promotion to a deputy real estate editor position last year. In a press release, the commission accused the Times of diversity, equity and inclusion-related race and sex discrimination. The Times denied the accusation, stating that it hires based on merit and that “the EEOC deviated from standard practices in highly unusual ways” in its “politically motivated” investigation of the Times, which has been ongoing for months. Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has cracked down on DEI initiatives and anything that could be construed as such. The Federal Communications Commission, for example, has investigated at least two media companies over their DEI policies. The Times has previously been the target of the Trump administration’s attacks on the media. 

State Department revokes visas of board members of Costa Rican newspaper

Costa Rican newspaper La Nación accused the Trump administration of trying to punish the paper for its editorial stance by revoking the visas of five of its board members. An editorial by the paper stated that the State Department did not provide a reason for the revocations. The paper has previously published stories critical of Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, who has been an ally of President Donald Trump, most notably agreeing to take in immigrants deported by the U.S. 

FCC investigates Disney’s ABC-owned television station licenses

The Federal Communications Commission’s media bureau announced it is reviewing Disney’s ABC-owned television station licenses several years before they are due for renewal as part of a broader investigation into whether Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices have violated federal laws against discrimination. It is extremely rare for the FCC to conduct early license renewal reviews. Though the FCC’s order states that the decision is related to an investigation it had opened back in March 2025, many media watchers noted that the order comes just days after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump called on ABC to fire talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for a joke about Melania Trump having the glow of an “expectant widow.” FCC chair Brendan Carr had previously pressured ABC into taking Kimmel’s show briefly off-air in September over comments he made about the assasination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. 

More from Poynter:

• The Trump world is targeting Jimmy Kimmel again. This time, it’s Melania.
• The FCC is reviewing ABC’s licenses. The message is clear.
• An unlikely ally warns the FCC is going too far in the Jimmy Kimmel fight

Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes ombudsman

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell fired Jacqueline Smith, the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, a newspaper owned and partially funded by the Department of Defense. Parnell did not give Smith a reason for her termination, but Smith wrote in an op-ed that she believed it was retaliation for her decision to speak out against the Pentagon’s plan to overhaul the paper. Though Stars and Stripes, which covers the military, is editorially independent, the Pentagon announced in January that it was planning to change to the paper so that it included more government releases and less “woke” content. In her op-ed, Smith wrote, “No one should be surprised that they’re kicking out the one person charged by Congress with protecting Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence,” and cited several examples of the Pentagon’s attempts to both influence the paper and to restrict other outlets. 

FBI director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic over negative coverage

FBI director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic for defamation after it published a story that alleged he had “alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.” Patel stated that The Atlantic had published multiple false statements in the piece in an attempt to damage his reputation and “drive him from office.” The Atlantic, however, has defended its reporting, which was based on several current and former anonymous officials. Patel’s lawsuit against The Atlantic mirrors similar moves President Donald Trump has made in suing outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, for coverage he dislikes.  

More from Poynter:

• Kash Patel sued The Atlantic. Can he actually win?
• After an explosive report on his conduct, FBI Director Kash Patel threatens to sue The Atlantic

Justice Department subpoenas journalists at Wall Street Journal and other outlets

The Justice Department sought the records of national security reporters as part of an investigation into leaks to the media about the Iran War, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Journal received subpoenas over its reporting that top Pentagon officials had raised concerns about launching a large military campaign against Iran. Other outlets and email and phone providers also received subpoenas. The subpoenas come one year after former Attorney General Pam Bondi loosened DOJ guidelines to more easily allow the department to subpoena journalists. The Journal said it would oppose the subpoenas, which it called an “effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting.”

FBI investigates New York Times reporter

The FBI began investigating New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson for breaking federal stalking laws after she published a story about bureau director Kash Patel’s girlfriend Alexis Wilkins on Feb. 28. The agency told the Times that they had looked into whether Williamson’s “aggressive reporting techniques crossed lines of stalking” before ultimately dropping the matter. Williamson, however, followed “normal” reporting procedures and only had one phone call and several email exchanges with Wilkins, according to the Times. In investigating Williamson, the FBI searched bureau databases for information about her and recommended initiating a preliminary investigation, but Department of Justice officials were concerned that such an inquiry would be retaliatory, the Times reported. The FBI denied ever investigating Williamson.  

More from Poynter:

• The FBI’s search of a Washington Post reporter’s home is rare — and part of a growing pattern
• Why the FBI’s raid on a Washington Post reporter crosses a dangerous line

DOJ subpoenas freelancer working for The New York Times

The Department of Justice subpoenaed freelancer Matthew Cole, seeking details about reporting he had done for The New York Times on a SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea. That operation, which took place in 2019, failed its primary objective and resulted in the deaths of unarmed North Koreans. Cole wrote about the mission in a Sept. 5, 2025, Times piece that he co-bylined with Times national correspondent Dave Philipps. In February, the Justice Department sought information about Cole’s sources and his conversations with them. Philipps was not subpoenaed. 

More from Poynter:

• The Trump administration’s hunt for leakers targets yet another journalist

Federal Trade Commission warns Apple News against non-disclosure of ‘ideological favoritism’

Federal Trade Commission chair Andrew Ferguson sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter warning him that Apple News may be in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Apple News suppressed news articles from conservative outlets while promoting those from liberal publications, Ferguson alleged, citing a study conducted by a conservative media watchdog group. The suppression of certain ideological perspectives could be a violation of the FTC Act if it is “inconsistent with Apple’s terms of service or the reasonable expectations of consumers,” Ferguson wrote. This is not the first time President Donald Trump’s administration has used the FTC to investigate groups it perceives to have a leftist bias. In May, the FTC launched an investigation into Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit that produces reporting on conservative misinformation.

FCC launches investigation into ‘The View’

The Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” over a possible violation of the agency’s “equal time” rule. The rule requires that broadcast television stations provide equal air time to political candidates, and the investigation will examine whether Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s appearance on “The View” constitutes a violation. Traditionally, talk shows have qualified for an exemption to the rule under the belief that interviews with political candidates constitute “bona fide” news. In January, however, FCC chair Brendan Carr issued new guidance stating that talk shows should not presume that they qualify for the exemption and must instead petition the FCC to grant it an exemption.  

DOJ accuses Don Lemon of violating the law while covering protest

The Department of Justice attempted to charge independent journalist Don Lemon for violating a law prohibiting people from interfering with places of religious worship after he reported live from a protest in a Minneapolis church. Lemon had livestreamed a Jan. 18 protest targeting a pastor, who also worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the church. During the livestream, Lemon interviewed activists leading the anti-ICE protest, parishioners and a pastor. Two days later, the DOJ filed a criminal complaint accusing Lemon and others present at the scene, including activists, of breaking the law. (Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, was also “briefly listed as a defendant in early court filings,” the Pioneer Press reported.) In his livestream, Lemon made it clear that he was not there as an activist participating in the protest but as a journalist. 

Pentagon announces overhaul of Stars and Stripes to eliminate ‘woke distractions’

Department of Defense leaders announced they will overhaul the Stars and Stripes, a department-owned outlet covering the armed forces, so that it includes more government releases and less “woke” content. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X that the Stripes would stop reprinting content from The Associated Press and focus on “warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY” instead of “woke distractions that syphon morale.” The new Stripes will also feature content written by active-duty service members instead of civilian journalists, and half of the Stripes website will be devoted to material created by Defense staff, such as photos from combat cameras, The Daily Wire reported. Stripes journalists have objected to the overhaul, which they fear will interfere with the paper’s mandate from Congress to be editorially independent. 

DOJ subpoenas The Washington Post and executes search of reporter’s home

FBI agents conducted an early morning search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in connection with a media leak investigation. That same morning, the Post received a subpoena seeking any materials related to the investigation, which targets government contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, who has been accused of mishandling classified materials. Among the items seized during the search were a work laptop, a personal laptop, a work cellphone, a work voice recorder, a portable hard drive and a Garmin watch. A few weeks prior to the search, Natanson — who covers President Donald Trump’s reshaping of the government and its effects — wrote a personal essay stating that she’d developed more than 1,100 confidential sources over the course of her reporting. Press freedom advocates highlighted the extreme nature of the search, which some said violated the law and the First Amendment.

More from Poynter:

• Why the FBI’s raid on a Washington Post reporter crosses a dangerous line
• The FBI’s search of a Washington Post reporter’s home is rare — and part of a growing pattern