New York Times Sues Pentagon for a Second Time

“The department’s policy is completely lawful and narrowly designed to protect national security information from unlawful criminal disclosure,” Mr. Parnell said.

The Times’s case is the latest salvo in a monthslong legal battle over the Pentagon’s escalating efforts to restrict reporters who cover the military complex. Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, has repeatedly curtailed journalists’ access within the Pentagon, including an escort requirement for certain Pentagon corridors. In October, the department imposed a comprehensive set of restrictions that let the agency designate journalists as “security risks” and revoke their press passes.

The Times in December sued the Pentagon on the grounds that the restrictions violated the First and Fifth Amendment rights of its journalists.

In March, Judge Paul Friedman of U.S. District Court ruled in favor of The Times, tossing out major parts of the October policy. Shortly after, the Pentagon released an “interim” policy that mandated official escorts for every visit, among other changes. The department also closed the longstanding workspace for journalists in the Pentagon.

Judge Friedman tossed out the heart of the interim policy as well, but the Pentagon asked an appeals court to allow the escort requirement to remain in place while it appealed both rulings by the judge. In April, a divided three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit allowed the escort requirement to remain in place during the appeal.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/business/media/new-york-times-pentagon-lawsuit.html