Fired Stars and Stripes journalists sue Pentagon officials over alleged censorship

Three journalists from the military news outlet Stars and Stripes have filed a federal lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and two other top Pentagon officials. They allege that the Trump administration is illegally trying to fire them as part of "extraordinary censorship efforts."

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not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker.

Publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte received separation notices last week, citing insubordination. The lawsuit claims these firings are retaliation for the journalists speaking out as private citizens in support of press freedom and for their reporting on harsh conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

Slavin and Korte stated that the insubordination cited in their termination notices stemmed from interviews they gave to CBS News. In those interviews, Korte emphasized her role as a journalist for Stars and Stripes, not for any government entity. Shortly after these interviews, the newspaper published a story detailing mental health struggles and shortages of food and water on the Lincoln, which had been deployed for nine months.

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The notices charged them with insubordination for the statements they made five and one-half weeks earlier on 'CBS Sunday Morning'.

The lawsuit asserts that the defendants ordered publisher Max Lederer to issue separation notices to Slavin and Korte the day after the USS Lincoln story ran. Lederer, who had announced his intent to retire due to "fundamental" differences with the Defense Department, was fired before his planned retirement. The plaintiffs contend they are facing "imminent retaliation and termination in violation of their First Amendment and statutory rights."

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facing imminent retaliation and termination in violation of their First Amendment and statutory rights.

Stars and Stripes, established during the Civil War, has historically prided itself on editorial independence from the federal government. The lawsuit aims to prevent what it calls a "blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists" and challenges the Department of Defense's alleged censorship, which the suit claims violates both the First Amendment and departmental regulations.

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This action seeks to prevent the blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists and challenges the U.S. Department of Defense's ("DoD") extraordinary censorship efforts in violation of both the First Amendment and DoD regulations and policies.