A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days. However, hours after the ruling, journalists from all three outlets reported continued access problems, with some again being denied entry to the White House complex.
Politico said one of its journalists was prevented from entering on Thursday morning and had his press pass confiscated by the Secret Service. CNN reported that correspondent Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were unable to enter the White House at around 6 a.m. and were given no explanation, although a network producer was able to enter with his credentials. MS NOW correspondent Laura Barrón-López said a Secret Service officer told her that her pass was still listed as deactivated before it was confiscated.
It was initially unclear whether the incidents amounted to non-compliance with the court order or resulted from delays in reactivating the credentials. The Associated Press reported that the White House had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
The three outlets are challenging the ban in court, while news organizations including Reuters, The Washington Post and Fox News have expressed support for them.
Judge Timothy Kelly had ordered the “immediate” return and reinstatement of the journalists’ credentials, issuing a temporary 14-day order while the three outlets’ legal challenge is considered. He found that they were likely to succeed in their claim that the credentials had been revoked without the due process required by the Constitution.
Kelly cited previous case law establishing that, before a permanent press credential can be suspended or revoked, the journalist must be informed of the alleged violation and given an opportunity to respond. In this case, the credentials had already been revoked by the time the outlets received letters outlining the administration’s allegations. The judge also found that the court record did not provide sufficient factual support for the administration’s later claim that the journalists posed a national security risk.
In its letters, the administration cited violations of required standards of “professionalism and decorum,” including reporting that it said contained inaccurate information or disclosed sensitive national security information. When Trump announced the ban on September 18, he linked it to what he called “fake news.”
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have challenged the ban in court, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and their due process rights.
Source: The Guardian [1], [2]
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