The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday withdrew subpoenas issued to three New York Times reporters as part of an investigation into the disclosure of information about a Qatari-donated aircraft intended for use as Air Force One. The decision came during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, where government attorneys acknowledged procedural mistakes in obtaining the subpoenas. The judge had questioned whether prosecutors complied with longstanding legal standards requiring investigators to exhaust other reasonable options before compelling testimony or records from journalists.

The subpoenas, issued earlier this month by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, sought testimony and phone records connected to reporting that described security concerns involving the retrofitted aircraft. Court filings showed that some requests mistakenly included phone records belonging to family members of reporters, errors the Justice Department described as inadvertent. Prosecutors told the court they were withdrawing the subpoenas but said the investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information remains active and that future subpoenas could be issued if legal requirements are met.