"We described the article to the government before publication."
They use this as a defence; how can something be "treason" if it was literally approved by the government?
The NYT depends on government approval to publish some stories, including probably every international story. Not uncommon to have ex-FP/NatSec people in foreign editor roles.
It's easy to see why: if they don't work with the government, the government won't work with them and some other newsroom will get superior access.
Source?