Overview
- U.S. District Judge David Estudillo rejected a temporary restraining order that sought to force the Washington House to issue floor passes to Ari Hoffman, Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe.
- The court found the plaintiffs had not shown likely success on First Amendment or due-process claims, including any viewpoint-based exclusion or arbitrary application of rules.
- House attorneys argued the trio are political participants rather than independent monitors, pointing to their roles speaking at rallies and advocacy-linked work.
- The plaintiffs, represented by the Citizens Action Defense Fund, say they will continue litigating the case and are not appealing the injunction given the session’s short timeline.
- The dispute follows a 2025 shift from the Capitol Correspondents Association to legislative control over credentials, with the Senate granting passes to the three and the House later denying them.