A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Pentagon has failed to comply with a court order to restore press access. The ruling comes after the department implemented new restrictions following its prior rules being deemed unconstitutional.
In March, a lawsuit brought by The New York Times resulted in a court finding that the Pentagon's changes to press access violated the constitution. However, the Pentagon responded with even tighter restrictions, including closing the "Correspondents' Corridor" and barring journalists from entering the military headquarters without an escort.
Judge Paul Friedman stated the tightened restrictions were "transparent attempts to negate the impact of this Court's Order" rather than security measures. He ordered the Defense Department to permit The New York Times' journalists and "all regulated parties" access to the Pentagon.
The Pentagon has stated it disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. A Pentagon spokesman asserted the department had reinstated credentials and issued a revised policy addressing the court's concerns.