New York Times Sues Pentagon Over Escort Requirement for Reporters

The New York Times sued the Pentagon on Monday to block a requirement that reporters be escorted while on Pentagon grounds. The newspaper said the escort rule is unconstitutional and compared it to earlier Defense Department press restrictions that a judge had already blocked.

Previously, The Times obtained a court order that halted strict credentialing rules limiting how defense reporters could gather information.

The Pentagon then introduced a new set of restrictions that includes the escort requirement. The lawsuit asks the court to block the escort rule and restore the press access policies that existed before the current administration took office. The suit also seeks to prevent the Pentagon from enforcing any similar restrictions on reporters covering the Defense Department.