DOJ seizes NYT journalist’s communications in Trump’s war on leakers

New York Times journalist Ali Watkins had several years of email and phone records seized by federal prosecutors, it emerged on Friday. The unusual move, which the Times said was “an outrageous overreach,” was part of a Justice Department investigation into a suspected leak from Senate Intelligence Committee aide James A. Wolfe. Trump described Wolfe as being a “very important leaker,” and said his arrest “could be a terrific thing.” Wolfe was arraigned in court Friday on charges of lying to investigators about his contact with journalists. He has denied giving classified information to the media and isn’t charged with doing so. Watkins is suspected of receiving information from Wolfe, who she was in a relationship with for three years. Watkins learned about her communications being seized when she received a letter from the Justice Department in February which said records from two personal email addresses and a phone number had been seized. The communications date back to her time as a college student, and include the period she wrote for HuffPost, Politico, and Buzzfeed. The content of the emails is not part of the seizure, but details everyone she communicated with and when. Prosecutors were able to get her records from Google and Verizon. News of the seizure drew anger from media rights groups and organizations. The Committee to Protect Journalists slammed the move as “a fundamental threat to press freedom” and said it sets a “dangerous precedent.” A key part of a functioning media is the ability to protect sources. (Read more)