Federal Judge Blasts Pentagon Over “Unlawful” Press Restrictions After Court Order
A federal judge has ruled the Pentagon is still violating a court order to restore journalists’ access, intensifying a legal fight over press freedom inside one of the government’s most restricted buildings.
The decision puts the Defense Department in direct conflict with a federal court after officials rolled out a revised policy that critics say limits reporting despite an earlier ruling striking down similar restrictions.
According to PBS NewsHour and The Washington Post, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman found the Pentagon failed to comply with his March order, which had already deemed parts of its press policy unconstitutional.
The revised rules required reporters to be escorted, reduced access to workspace, and imposed limits on how journalists interact with sources—changes the court said undermined the original ruling.
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That creates a new legal flashpoint, as the Pentagon maintains it acted within the law while the court says the department is attempting to bypass judicial authority.
“The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking ‘new’ action,” Friedman wrote, according to CBS News.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by The New York Times, which argued the restrictions violated First Amendment protections and targeted disfavored journalists, a claim the judge previously upheld.
The case now signals broader implications for press access across federal agencies, especially as tensions grow between government officials and major news organizations over transparency and control of information.
The Pentagon is expected to appeal the ruling, setting up a continued legal battle over how much access journalists are entitled to inside military facilities.
For now, the court’s order stands, but enforcement remains contested.
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