Overview

• The U.S. Department of Justice, led by interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, sent letters to CHEST, NEJM, and Obstetrics & Gynecology questioning their editorial standards and practices.
• The letters implied partisan bias and sought details on peer review processes, competing viewpoints, and safeguards against misinformation.
• Editors of the journals have publicly defended their editorial independence, citing rigorous peer review and First Amendment protections.
• The Lancet published an editorial condemning the DOJ's actions as harassment and warning of broader threats to U.S. science under the Trump administration.
• Legal and academic experts caution that these inquiries could have a chilling effect on scholarly communication and freedom of expression.