Overview
- Judge Paul Friedman, in a Thursday opinion, said the Pentagon defied his March 20 order and he blocked its new “interim” restrictions on reporters.
- The court detailed how the department closed the long‑used Correspondents’ Corridor, required escorts for credentialed journalists, moved offices to an off‑site annex, and curtailed routine questioning.
- Friedman ordered the Defense Department to restore in‑building access for New York Times reporters and all regulated parties and to file a sworn declaration explaining compliance steps by April 16.
- The Pentagon says it reinstated the badges named in the order, argues its revised policy fixed earlier defects, and plans to appeal the ruling.
- The dispute grew from an October 2025 policy that tied credentials to pledges not to solicit unauthorized information, prompting most major outlets to surrender badges and reshaping who covers the Pentagon day to day.