Judge orders Pentagon to lift policy that New York Times journalists be accompanied by an escort
There’s a federal judge He instructed the Ministry of Defense The New York Times’ decision to temporarily suspend this obligation journalists will be accompanied by an official escortAs another failure of the Trump administration’s efforts Restrict media access at Pentagon.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said the policy violated the First Amendment and issued a statement. preliminary decision While that requirement was blocked on Tuesday, the New York Times continues its legal fight against the department’s restrictions.
The decision did not specify whether journalists at other organizations would also be exempt from this policy.
In May, the newspaper filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defense for the second time in five months. The lawsuits have caused increasing tension between the US media and the Republican administration, both in the public sphere and in the courts.
The Times welcomed Friedman’s decision.
“Today’s well-reasoned decision reaffirms the press’s right to cover the Pentagon without restrictions designed to prevent the public from knowing what the military is doing,” spokesman Charlie Stadtlander said. “The Court recognized that the Pentagon’s hastily implemented new policy was a clear violation of the Constitution.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on Channel X late Tuesday that the department “strongly disagrees” with Friedman’s decision. “This decision will undermine reasonable security measures and make it easier for sensitive and classified information to reach our adversaries.”
The Times first sued in December over rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to limit media access.
The escort policy was implemented in March following Friedman’s decision that eliminated previous restrictions. He said that Times reporter Julian E. Barnes and the newspaper violated his rights.
The following month, the judge ruled that the temporary policy violated his March ruling. However, the escort policy remained in effect The appeals court remained a part of Friedman’s ruling while the government appealed. The objection process continues.
The Times and other publications went out Rather than accept Hegseth’s restrictions, he appealed to the Pentagon in October. They continue to guard the US military from outside the building. A new department-approved press group is now based at the Pentagon.
