The Pentagon is being sued by The New York Times over Pete Hegseth's press policy

The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense on Thursday, challenging the press restrictions introduced last October by Secretary Pete Hegseth. These rules led many major news organizations to relinquish their Pentagon credentials.

The lawsuit names Hegseth and Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell as defendants and claims the new media policy is both illegal and unconstitutional. Times journalist Julian E. Barnes is listed as a plaintiff in the complaint.

According to the lawsuit, the policy gives Defense officials unchecked authority to suspend or revoke a reporters Pentagon badge for legally gathering news, whether on Pentagon grounds or elsewhere, or for publishing information not approved by the department. It is neither reasonable nor neutral in viewpoint, the complaint states, describing the rules as a violation of the First Amendment recognized by the Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit.

The Times also criticizes a rule that considers routine journalistic practices, such as interviewing government employees, as potential grounds for badge revocation. Such reporting is a fundamental journalistic activity and public service, essential for uncovering critical stories, including historic revelations like the Pentagon Papers, the complaint notes.

The newspaper seeks a court order to restore its reporters Pentagon badges and halt enforcement of the restrictive policy. The lawsuit also requests a declaration that the provisions infringing on journalists First Amendment rights are unlawful and unconstitutional.

A Times spokesperson told HuffPost that the policy represents an effort to control coverage the government dislikes, infringing on the free press constitutional rights under the First and Fifth Amendments. The spokesperson added that the Times will vigorously defend these rights, as it has in prior administrations.

The Pentagon did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The restrictions issued in October required journalists to agree not to report unapproved information, even if unclassified. Major news outlets, including the Times, HuffPost, Fox News, and Newsmax, declined to comply.

Whitney Snyder, Editor-in-Chief of HuffPost, called the restrictions an unacceptable assault on the First Amendment and free press principles.

Following the policy, the Pentagon held its first press briefing with select media it described as the newly appointed Pentagon Press Corps, including pro-Trump figures like former Rep. Matt Gaetz and activist Laura Loomer.

Author: Chloe Ramirez