Six citizens sue Trump and aides over White House press bans, citing the public's right to know

Mixed · 2A lawsuit filed Monday 26 October in federal district court in New York argues that President Donald Trump's bans on news organisations from White House premises violate the rights of the public as well as those of the press. 1 2 Mixed · 2The six plaintiffs say they rely on independent and diverse White House reporting for their teaching, journalism or advocacy. They are Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch; Daniel Froomkin, editor of Press Watch; Beverly Gage, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Yale historian; Peter Schmidt-Nowara, a civics teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School; Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare; and Ethan Young, a University of Pennsylvania student and editor-in-chief of The Daily Pennsylvanian. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Knight First Amendment Institute filed the suit with the Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School. Its deputy litigation director, Katie Fallow, said: "The First Amendment protects the public’s right to know what its government is doing," and that the White House "cannot decide what information Americans receive by punishing critical reporting." 1 2

Mixed · 2The defendants are Trump, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran. 1 2 Mixed · 2The complaint says the policy of restricting disfavoured outlets also deprives the public of other outlets' independent reporting, because every White House journalist must consider that a critical word about the president could cost them access. It seeks a declaration that the policy is unconstitutional because it imposes viewpoint-based and unreasonable restrictions on a limited public forum, and an injunction barring its enforcement. 1 2 Mixed · 2The suit differs from earlier cases because the plaintiffs are ordinary citizens and the relief sought is wider: reinstatement of access already affected, plus a broad injunction protecting every outlet that covers the White House from retaliation. 1 2

Mixed · 2The complaint recounts related cases. CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing over the September removal of their journalists from the White House, and a federal judge recently extended an order stopping the White House from enforcing that ban while the case proceeds. CNN is still being denied its usual slots in the White House video pool and has threatened further action. 1 2 Mixed · 2Other disputes continue. The Associated Press was barred last year from the Oval Office, Air Force One and some events after it declined to adopt the name Gulf of America. The New York Times is litigating a Pentagon policy requiring escorts for journalists, and ABC is contesting the renewal of its broadcast licences. 1 2 Mixed · 2In statements quoted in the suit, Schmidt-Nowara said his students deserve to hear from a free and independent press. Young said that, unable to enter White House press spaces himself, he relies on White House reporters as his proxy. 1 2