"The DOJ sent a letter to the journal Chest questioning its editorial policies. The letter has sparked free-speech concerns among scientists and First Amendment experts."

"Amid brewing conflict between scientists and the administration of President Donald Trump, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia sent an unusual letter this week to a scientific journal focused on diseases and medicine related to the chest, asking about its editorial policies.

“It has been brought to my attention that more and more journals like CHEST journal are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates,” interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin wrote.

In the letter, Martin said he has been told that some journals “have a position for which they are advocating due to advertisement (under postal code) or sponsorship (under relevant fraud regulations).”

Martin’s letter states, “The public has certain expectations and you have certain responsibilities.” It then poses questions about the journal’s view of its role in protecting the public from misinformation, its publication of “competing viewpoints” and its handling of allegations that authors have misled readers."

Mark Johnson reports for the Washington Post April 18, 2025. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Trump-Allied Prosecutor Sends Letters to Medical Journals Alleging Bias" (New York Times) [3]