A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the Pentagon has not followed an earlier court order that struck down much of a restrictive new press pass policy, and directed that credentials be returned to seven New York Times reporters.
The decision from Paul Friedman came after the newspaper asked the court to enforce his 20 March ruling. The Times had argued that the Department of Defense responded to that decision by putting in place a new press access policy that amounted to an “end-run” around the court’s order.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the newspaper against the Trump administration in December. At issue is access for reporters covering the Pentagon, including the rules governing press credentials and access to work areas used by correspondents.
According to the source account, the Pentagon also announced the closure of the workspace known as “correspondents’ corridor.” That move became part of the dispute after the court had already ruled on the earlier policy.
Thursday’s ruling deepens the conflict between the Defense Department and the press over access to Pentagon coverage. It also gives the Times a procedural victory in its effort to have the earlier decision carried out rather than replaced by a revised policy from the department.
The judge’s order specifically requires the return of credentials to seven Times reporters, underscoring the immediate effect of the dispute for the news organization’s Pentagon coverage.
The matter had already drawn attention because the court’s March ruling was intended to remove major restrictions from the new press pass system. The Pentagon’s subsequent response prompted the newspaper to return to court, arguing that the department had not implemented the decision in the way the judge intended.
Thursday’s ruling makes clear that, in the court’s view, the Pentagon’s actions after the March order did not satisfy the legal requirement to comply with that decision.
The dispute remains part of a broader fight over press access and the conditions under which reporters can work at the Pentagon.
