The New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing that its policy requiring journalists to have official escorts on Pentagon grounds is unconstitutional. The suit, filed in US district court in Washington on Monday, claims the interim policy introduced in March imposes 'utterly unreasonable' restrictions on reporters.
The policy breaks from decades of tradition that allowed unescorted access in unsecured corridors so journalists could move freely between press offices. The Times argues this change 'breaks sharply from that history and tradition', forcing reporters to spend hours arranging appointments and escorts for even single questions.
This follows a previous legal challenge in December, when a federal judge ruled key parts of an earlier press policy unconstitutional. The Pentagon then issued the escort requirement, which the judge said violated his order. However, an appeals court allowed the policy to remain during the appeal process.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the new lawsuit as 'nothing more than an attempt to remove the barriers to them getting their hands on classified information'. He maintained the policy is 'completely lawful and narrowly designed to protect national security information from unlawful criminal disclosure'.
The Times counters that without meaningful access, reporters are deprived of unique newsworthy information, especially given recent events such as the capture of the President of Venezuela, the Iran war, and Secretary Hegseth's firings of high-ranking military officials. The paper is asking the court to force the Pentagon to lift the restriction.
