Federal prosecutors sidestepped some Justice Department rules when they seized the phone records of reporters as part of media leak investigations during the Trump administration, according to a new watchdog report being released as the aggressive practice of hunting for journalists’ sources could a

Summary

A DOJ watchdog report revealed that federal prosecutors violated internal policies when seizing reporters’ phone records during media leak investigations under the Trump administration.

Rules requiring oversight by the News Media Review Committee were bypassed, and nondisclosure agreements lacked proper approval.

The investigation also targeted congressional staffers and officials.

While no political bias was found, the findings renew concerns amid potential policy shifts under Trump’s new pick for attorney general.

The DOJ has long struggled to balance press freedom with safeguarding national security.