Fired Stars and Stripes journalists sue Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson
Summary
Three journalists who worked for Stars and Stripes, a military news outlet, sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon officials after they were fired. The journalists say their dismissals were illegal and linked to their reporting on poor conditions aboard a Navy aircraft carrier and their support for press freedom.Key Facts
- The three plaintiffs are publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte.
- They were given separation notices last week, with insubordination cited as the reason.
- The journalists claim they were fired because they spoke out as private citizens supporting press freedom and reported on mental health, food, and water shortages on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
- The lawsuit names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, and aide Andrew Brey as defendants.
- Slavin and Korte’s firings related to interviews they gave to CBS News, where they said Stars and Stripes operates independently from the Pentagon.
- Lederer planned to retire due to disagreements with the Defense Department but was fired first.
- Stars and Stripes has a long history of editorial independence and reaches about 1.4 million readers daily, including service members overseas.
- Pentagon officials said they want to modernize the newspaper and change its focus to better serve current military members.
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