Court Halts Pentagon Rule Requiring Escorts for Journalists

A federal judge temporarily blocked a new rule that restricted reporters’ access to the Pentagon, in a lawsuit brought by The New York Times.

A federal judge ordered the Pentagon on Tuesday to temporarily lift a requirement that all journalists visiting the building be accompanied by an official escort while The New York Times sues to overturn the rule. The decision was another rebuke to the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict reporters who cover the military complex.

In a preliminary ruling, Judge Paul L. Friedman, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said the escort policy violated the First Amendment.