WASHINGTON (TNND) — The New York Times on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, alleging that the Defense Department’s new policy violates the newspaper’s First Amendment rights.
“The policy is an attempt to exert control over reporting the government dislikes, in violation of a free press’ right to seek information under their First and Fifth Amendment rights protected by the Constitution,” New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in a statement.
“The Times intends to vigorously defend against the violation of these rights, just as we have long done throughout administrations opposed to scrutiny and accountability,” he continued.
The lawsuit is specifically against Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth after he brought forward a new policy in September that mandated media outlets vow not to collect information unless it is formally authorized by defense officials.
The New York Times and National Public Radio (NPR) gave up their press passes and didn’t comply with the policy.
Other news outlets spoke out against the new policy, including CNN, Fox News Media, CBS News and NBC News.
As of now, Hegseth has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington.
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The suit reads that “reporting any information not approved by department officials” could lead to punishment, “regardless of whether such news gathering occurs on or off Pentagon grounds, and regardless of whether the information at issue is classified or unclassified.”