By Dave Workman
A lawsuit filed by three independent journalists against the Washington State House of Representatives has moved to federal court, with the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) seeking an emergency temporary restraining order to secure press credentials for the plaintiffs before the Legislature ends its session.
A hearing on the original lawsuit had been scheduled for Friday, March 6, but that has been cancelled now that the legal action has moved to federal court.
According to a press release from the CADF, the federal complaint asserts violations of the First Amendment, Article 1, Section 5 of the Washington State Constitution, state and federal due process protections and the state’s non-delegation doctrine.
MyNorthwest.com quotes Jackson Maynard, lead counsel in the case for independent broadcast journalist Brandi Kruse, KVI journalist/commentator Ari Hoffman and Jonathan Choe, a former KOMO reporter now working as a journalist for the Discovery Institute. He is a regular contributor to various publications including the Lynnwood Times.
WA House Democrats Deny Press Credentials to Independent Journalists
“Freedom of the press is not subject to unpublished standards or private gatekeeping,” Maynard stated. “The Constitution requires transparency, viewpoint neutrality, and due process. No matter what court the case is in, we will fight for the freedom of the press and work to ensure they are able to inform the public of what the government is doing.”
Liberty Park Press reached out to Kruse, Hoffman and Choe for comment. Only Hoffman replied by deadline.
“The government should never be allowed to decide which journalists are permitted to report on it,” Hoffman—the KVI afternoon drive time host—observed. “This lawsuit is about protecting the First Amendment and ensuring the public—not politicians or private gatekeepers—decides which voices are heard.”
The issue puts the House of Representatives on the spot, forcing the Democrat majority and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins to explain how they define a “journalist.”
As reported earlier by Liberty Park, a letter from House Chief Clerk Bernard Dean to Kruse, what scuttled her request for a press pass was her “recent engagement in public policy development and advocacy.” Kruse had been outspoken about protecting female athletes from competing against, and sharing locker rooms with, biological males. She spoke during a rally on the Capitol steps earlier this winter, surrounded by female athletes and advocates.
All three plaintiffs are established news and views journalists with wide followings in the Pacific Northwest. They had sought press credentials to access legislative activities in the House chambers.
It used to be the venue of the Capitol Correspondents’ Association to approve or deny press credential requests, but that authority was turned over to the House of Representatives.
Liberty Park Press earlier reached out to Jerry Cornfield, who heads the organization, but he never responded.
Workman is editor-in-chief at TheGunMag.com
