New York Times challenged over Trump-Russia surveillance reporting
Conservative news outlet Just the News has challenged The New York Times' reporting on alleged surveillance of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, citing Justice Department findings and a 2023 special counsel report that found no evidence of collusion at the investigation's outset.
Just the News on Thursday challenged a recent New York Times article that characterized Trump's claims of Obama-era surveillance as "without evidence," citing a 2019 Justice Department inspector general report and the guilty plea of former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith for altering an email used in a surveillance warrant application. The conservative outlet also highlighted the department's $1.25 million settlement with former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in April 2026, according to Just the News.
Special Counsel John Durham's 2023 report concluded that federal investigators possessed no evidence of collusion when opening the Crossfire Hurricane probe, contradicting the basis for the surveillance applications.
Justice Department settlement
The Justice Department agreed to settle Page's lawsuit for $1.25 million earlier this year following allegations of unlawful surveillance targeting the former campaign adviser. "No American should ever face covert and unlawful surveillance based on their political view," a department spokesman said after the agreement was announced. Clinesmith had previously pleaded guilty to falsifying documents submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to justify monitoring Page.
Newspaper defends reporting
Responding to an inquiry from Just the News, The New York Times defended its coverage, stating its "reporting on the challenges to reauthorize Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702 presents readers with a clear and factual picture." The newspaper has maintained its Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage on the Russia investigation despite Trump's lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board for upholding the awards. The Pulitzers, established in 1917 by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, represent the highest honors in US journalism.
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