Federal Judge Strikes Down Pentagon’s Press Access Policy

By Steven Portnoy, abcnews.com, 3-20-26

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has struck down the Pentagon’s press access policy, finding it violates the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled late on March 20 in favor of The New York Times, which brought a lawsuit challenging the policy.

The new Defense Department rules, implemented in October 2025, required reporters to sign a document advising them that their access to the Pentagon might be revoked if they are “reasonably determined to pose a security or safety risk,” based on such things as “unauthorized access, attempted unauthorized access, or unauthorized disclosure of” information that might be “sensitive,” even if it’s unclassified….

In the ruling, Friedman argued that the policy violates the First Amendment’s prohibition on viewpoint discrimination. » Read More