US judge blocks Pentagon’s restrictions on press after New York Times lawsuit

Lawsuit alleged changes gave DoD free rein to punish reporters and outlets over coverage it did not like

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A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s restrictive Pentagon press access policy, which threatens journalists with being branded security risks if they seek information not authorized for public release.

“Those who drafted the first amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech,” US district court judge Paul Friedman wrote in his opinion. “That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now.”