Judge Rules Pentagon Violated Order to Restore Press Access

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled on Thursday that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters. The ruling comes as a setback in the administration's efforts to impede journalists' work.

The judge sided with The New York Times for the second time in a month, stating that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team had tried to evade his March 20th ruling by implementing new rules. These rules required reporters to be escorted within the building and removed media offices from the Pentagon.

The New York Times attorney Theodore Boutrous said the ruling "powerfully vindicates both the Court's authority and the First Amendment's protections of independent journalism." The Pentagon, however, disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal. Spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the department has complied with the judge's orders and issued a revised policy addressing all concerns identified by the court.

In October, reporters from mainstream news outlets walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules. The Times sued the Pentagon and Hegseth in December to challenge the policy. Friedman had ordered Pentagon officials to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times reporters and stressed that his decision applies to "all regulated parties."

The current Pentagon press corps is comprised mostly of conservative outlets that agreed to the policy. Journalists from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including the Associated Press, have continued reporting on the military from outside the Pentagon.