Months after the collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and a passenger jet that killed 67 people in Washington, D.C., Congress and federal aviation safety regulators are still investigating what happened.
In the immediate aftermath, as the Trump administration scrambled to blame the tragedy on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, authorities took swift action against two men they accused of leaking dramatic footage of the crash to CNN, which aired videos that appeared to come from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s security cameras.
The charges, filed by local authorities in Virginia, came as President Donald Trump and his allies vowed to crack down on journalists and their sources.
But on Wednesday, local prosecutors in Virginia dropped charges entirely against one of the men, Jonathan Savoy, who worked at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The second MWAA employee, Mohamed Mbengue, indicated he would not contest the charges, according to court records, reportedly as part of a pretrial diversion agreement with prosecutors.
In early February, the MWAA announced that Mbengue and Savoy had been charged with “computer trespass,” a misdemeanor under a Virginia law, for making an “unauthorized copy” of airport records. An MWAA press statement issued on February 4 specified that Savoy was charged “following further police investigation” of the leak.
Weeks after both men were arraigned in Arlington County court, prosecutors dropped the charge against Savoy through a filing called a “nolle prosequi,” according to the court docket.
“Mr. Savoy is grateful for the complete dismissal of the criminal charge filed against him,” his attorney, Robert L. Jenkins Jr., wrote in an emailed statement to The Intercept. “It was clear from the facts that he never violated the law.”
The Arlington County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney did not respond to The Intercept’s request for comment about why charges were dropped against Savoy.
Also on Wednesday, Mbengue entered a plea of no contest, which local media reported was part of a pretrial diversion agreement that will expunge the charge after a year of good behavior.
Mbengue’s attorney did not respond to The Intercept’s request for comment.
Since February, The Intercept has been trying to get arrest reports for both Savoy and Mbengue. The MWAA denied a public records request on the grounds that the records might interfere with the ongoing court proceedings against them.
On Thursday, the MWAA notified The Intercept that, since charges were dropped against Savoy, its “basis for withholding the records in full is no longer applicable,” and withheld records about Savoy would be processed.
“It appears that the case against Mr. Mbengue may also be concluded early next week, which would similarly affect the basis for withholding them in full,” an attorney for the MWAA wrote by email.
IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT.
What we’re seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government.
This is not hyperbole.
Court orders are being ignored. MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse. News outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Yet far too many are still covering Trump’s assault on democracy like politics as usual, with flattering headlines describing Trump as “unconventional,” “testing the boundaries,” and “aggressively flexing power.”
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
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IT’S BEEN A DEVASTATING year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
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I’M BEN MUESSIG, The Intercept’s editor-in-chief. It’s been a devastating year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
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