Judge Voids Google Gag Order in Air Force One Leak Probe as Trump Defends Reporter Subpoenas
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 24
Judge Voids Google Gag Order in Air Force One Leak Probe as Trump Defends Reporter Subpoenas
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 24
Summary
Judge Arun Subramanian vacated a non-disclosure order that had barred Google from telling a phone-number subscriber about a July 16 grand jury subpoena in the Air Force One leak investigation.
Google argued the gag order violated the First Amendment, and its lawyers said prosecutors had wrongly described the probe as "not public" even though the investigation was already known.
The unsealed letter showed the DOJ sought subscriber information tied to one phone number a day after New York Times lawyers moved to quash subpoenas issued to the paper's reporters.
Trump defended using subpoenas to pursue the source of leaked details about security concerns on the Qatari-donated presidential plane, saying investigators were targeting leakers, not journalists.
The ruling came a day after the DOJ told the court it was withdrawing its demands for Times reporters' grand jury testimony and phone records after the judge signaled he would quash them.