The US government withdrew subpoenas issued to New York Times reporters. A federal judge had questioned how the government handled the legal demands.

The subpoenas were issued on July 10 by Manhattan attorney Jay Clayton. They targeted four named reporters.

The reporters were Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt. The subpoenas sought records about their reporting on security concerns.

Those concerns involved a Qatar-donated Air Force One plane. The subpoenas also sought phone records of family members.

This included one reporter's mother. The New York Times called the subpoenas an attempt to scare the free press.

Clayton has been nominated by Trump for a top intelligence role. The Justice Department admitted mistakes in issuing the subpoenas.

A Justice Department lawyer told the judge the government would withdraw them. The judge said new subpoenas could still be issued later.

A Justice Department spokesperson later criticized the judge. The spokesperson said the leak investigation remains open.