WASHINGTON (Dispatches) - Three staff members from the Stars and Stripes military newspaper have filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense, alleging that their recent firing was part of an effort to erode the paper’s independence.
In Thursday’s court filings, the newspaper’s publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte argued that their First Amendment rights to free speech had been infringed.
The Stars and Stripes has long billed itself as an independent source for military news, though it receives government funding for its operations.
But last week, the three journalists received notices of termination from the Pentagon that reportedly accused them of insubordination.
That has raised questions about the Defense Department’s longtime commitment to respecting the newspaper’s editorial independence.
Thursday’s complaint accuses the department and several of its leaders, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, of engaging in “extraordinary censorship efforts”.
“Defendants are attempting to fire Plaintiffs for speaking up as private citizens in support of the press’s freedom to cover military operations,” the lawsuit says.
“This [legal] action seeks to prevent the blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists.”
The case is set to be heard in a district court in Washington, DC.
Korte explained the journalists’ reason for filing the lawsuit in a social media post.
“Everyone deserves the right to a free and independent press, especially our service members,” she wrote. “This lawsuit is about safeguarding the mission of Stars and Stripes journalists so they can continue to do their jobs without fear or retaliation.”
The legal battle is the latest instance under President Donald Trump of the executive branch being sued for allegedly penalizing reporters and media personalities who do not comply with the administration’s viewpoints.
The lawsuit points to a July interview on CBS Sunday Morning as the “genesis” of the friction between the Stars and Stripes journalists and the Trump administration.
Both Korte and Slavin were featured in the segment. A reporter for the morning news show asked them about their work and recent statements from the Pentagon indicating it would seek to redirect the newspaper’s focus.
“You have a sign on your desk: Pick your battles,” CBS News reporter David Martin asked Slavin. “Which foxholes are you willing to die in?”
“We need to be able to provide independent news to service members,” Slavin responded. “If we can’t do that, if we were turned into something other than that, if we were public relations, that’s the foxhole.”