Overview
- Senior U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that the Pentagon’s 2025 credential policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments through viewpoint discrimination and unconstitutional vagueness.
- The policy, instituted under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, required reporters to pledge not to obtain or use “unauthorized” information and allowed broad revocations of access, including over some unclassified material.
- The court vacated those provisions and ordered the Pentagon to restore access for New York Times journalists, declining a short stay and setting a prompt compliance timeline.
- Most major outlets refused to sign the pledge last fall, turned in their badges, and were replaced in Pentagon spaces by outlets and personalities more favorable to the administration.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department will appeal, while the judge emphasized robust press access during ongoing U.S. operations in Venezuela and the war with Iran.