WASHINGTON: U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Thursday ordered the White House to restore press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days after finding their due-process claim likely to succeed.
Kelly issued the temporary restraining order hours after an emergency hearing on the outlets’ lawsuit. Their White House hard passes had been revoked after President Donald Trump announced the restrictions on September 18.
The judge wrote that the administration did not dispute that the outlets received no notice or opportunity to respond before losing their credentials.
He relied on longstanding D.C. Circuit precedent governing White House press access. “This Court is bound by D.C. Circuit precedent, full stop,” Kelly wrote.
Read: CNN, MS NOW and Politico Denied Access to White House
The administration argued that national security concerns justified the exclusions of the three organizations. Kelly said the record before the lawsuit offered little support for that explanation.
Before the ruling, Trump criticized the judge and said he expected to lose at the district court stage and appeal. The temporary order restores access while the broader lawsuit continues.
Read: Trump Tells Rachel Scott ‘You’re The Worst’ in Dallas Clash
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to immediately restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for two weeks after finding their due-process claim likely to succeed.
