Federal judge nukes Pentagon media escort requirement
Source: Courthouse News Service
June 30, 2026
WASHINGTON (CN) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Pentagon from enforcing an escort requirement for journalists to enter the building, marking the third time Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s national security claims have faltered in court.
Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman granted the New York Times request for a preliminary injunction after ruling the provision violates the First Amendment “twice over,” because it was issued in retaliation for the news outlet’s lawsuit, and because it amounts to an unreasonable and viewpoint discriminatory restriction on a nonpublic forum.
“This court has spoken at several points about the critical importance of protecting the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment, and that evergreen message bears repeating: ‘Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech,’” the Bill Clinton appointee wrote, quoting his initial ruling for the Times. “‘That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years.’ As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary this very week, that principle must not be abandoned now.”
Tuesday’s decision is the latest chapter in the Defense Department’s effort to take complete control of the information coming out of the Pentagon, which first began with a new press policy in October 2025 that led to an exodus of veteran journalists.
Read more: https://courthousenews.com/federal-judge-nukes-pentagon-media-escort-requirement/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.292479/gov.uscourts.dcd.292479.17.0.pdf
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143465455
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143465572
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143657354
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143666985
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