
The New York Daily News and the New Yorker are suing the Federal Bureau of Investigation, alleging the bureau is unlawfully and fraudulently spying on them.
The news outlets said in a statement that the FBI is “trying to intimidate and threaten journalists” in order to suppress their reporting of the Trump administration.
They have asked a judge to bar the FBI from conducting surveillance of the media and to compel the bureau to give them access to documents.
Federal law requires the FBI to obtain a search warrant from a judge before spying on news organizations.
The warrant must include a search of a person’s house, business, or vehicle, or be issued by a judge.
In the complaint, the Daily News said that the bureau obtained a search order in January, two days after the publication of a story about the inauguration, which they claimed was a violation of the First Amendment.
The bureau told the news organizations it was conducting an investigation and would not comment further.