New York Times Reporter Subpoenaed In Leak Investigation

The subpoena was disclosed in a court filing late Monday night in the Eastern District of Virginia, where onetime CIA employee Jeffrey Sterling awaits trial on charges that could send him to prison for decades.

The Justice Department filing calls Risen "an eyewitness" to the alleged crimes and a "critical" figure to the government's case who can provide information that it can't get from anyone else. Prosecutors want to use Risen's testimony not only to point the finger at Sterling but also to establish that key actions took place in Northern Virginia, where the case will be heard.

Risen successfully moved to quash an earlier government subpoena and prosecutors said in their latest court filing that they expect him to try that strategy once again. Joel Kurtzberg, an attorney for Risen, did not return a call for comment early Tuesday.