US judge rules Pentagon has violated his order in press access case

A U.S. federal judge ruled that the Pentagon violated his previous order to reinstate press access for New York Times reporters. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the New York Times in December against the Trump administration over restrictive press pass policies. Judge Paul Friedman found the Pentagon's new policies, including required escorts for journalists and restrictions on "unauthorized disclosures," to be a continuation of the previously vacated policy. While the New York Times journalists had their credentials returned, the judge determined that the Pentagon has failed to truly “reinstate” the privileges that came with receiving the pass because of the added requirement for an escort. The judge also criticized the Pentagon's closure of the "correspondents' corridor" workspace, stating it defied his order to restore press privileges.

A US judge has ordered the Pentagon to restore press access to credentialed reporters, ruling that the Department of Defense is defying a previous court order. Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times and other news organizations who challenged restrictions imposed last year. The judge stated that the Pentagon's revised restrictions, issued earlier in March, were a "blatant attempt to circumvent a lawful order of the Court." The original restrictions, implemented under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in October, allowed the Pentagon to revoke press badges if journalists solicited unauthorized staff to disclose classified or unclassified information. The ruling comes after concerns were raised that the revised restrictions went even further than those previously blocked.

The New York Times has accused the Pentagon of disregarding a judge's order that blocked its policy restricting press access to the Defense Department headquarters. The newspaper's lawyer argued in court on Monday that the Pentagon implemented a revised policy that circumvents the judge's March 20 ruling, which stated the original policy violated journalists' constitutional rights. US District Judge Paul Friedman had previously sided with The New York Times, ordering the reinstatement of credentials for seven reporters. The New York Times claims the new policy imposes even stricter limitations on journalists, prompting them to urge the judge to enforce compliance with the original order. The judge did not immediately issue a ruling after hearing arguments from both sides.