Citizens sue White House to block media access rules

Six New York residents filed a federal lawsuit on Monday challenging the administration's current media access policies.

The complaint was submitted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It names President Donald Trump as a defendant. The suit also targets three senior White House officials. Those individuals are Susie Wiles, the chief of staff. Steven Cheung, the communications director. And Sean M. Curran, the director of the Secret Service.

The plaintiffs include Kenneth Roth, a former Human Rights Watch executive. Beverly Gage is a Yale history professor. Peter Schmidt-Nowara teaches social studies at Brooklyn Technical High School. Benjamin Wittes edits the publication Lawfare. Daniel Froomkin works as a political journalist. Ethan Young is a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

The group argues that the First Amendment protects the audience, not just the press. Katie Fallow, a deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute, said the public has a right to know what its government is doing. The institute filed the suit with the Yale Law School Media Freedom Clinic. Fallow stated that expelling reporters based on their coverage forces the public to rely on government messaging.

The administration responded through an unnamed White House official. The official said no person may demand access to the Oval Office. The statement noted that outlets covering misinformation can report from outside the building.

The suit seeks a broad injunction. It asks the court to stop the White House from punishing any news organization for critical coverage. This relief would extend to outlets currently banned and those that may face restrictions in the future. The complaint argues the policy is unconstitutional because it limits a public forum based on viewpoint.

The legal challenge follows other ongoing disputes. CNN, MSNBC, and Politico are currently in court after their reporters were banned in September. A federal judge recently kept that ban from being enforced. The Associated Press is also suing after being barred from the Oval Office and Air Force One. The New York Times is fighting a Pentagon escort policy. ABC is in a dispute over broadcast license renewals.