The New York Times said the Federal Bureau of Investigation “began investigating” its reporter Elizabeth Williamson after she wrote a story involving FBI director Kash Patel titled “Patel’s girlfriend seeks fame and fortune, escorted by an FBI SWAT team.”
Times executive editor Joe Kahn called the probe an “alarming” attempt by the FBI to “criminalize routine reporting.”
And the Times only learned about it through a confidential source who tipped off Williamson’s colleague Michael Schmidt. He published a story about it on Wednesday night, prompting First Amendment groups to denounce the FBI inquiry.
Clayton Weimers, North America director for Reporters Without Borders, said,