Judge Orders White House To Return Jim Acosta’s Press Pass
CNN’s Jim Acosta will return to his post at the White House on Friday following a court ruling that forced the Trump administration to reinstate his press pass.
The ruling by federal judge Timothy J. Kelly was an initial victory for CNN in its lawsuit against President Trump and several top aides. The suit alleges that CNN and Acosta.
Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated by last week’s suspension of his press pass.
Kelly did not rule on the underlying case on Friday. But he granted CNN’s request for a temporary restraining order. And he said he believes that CNN and Acosta are likely to prevail in the case overall.
Speaking outside the court, Ted Boutrous, an outside attorney representing CNN, said “this is a great day for the First Amendment and journalism.”
CNN Washington bureau chief Sam Feist said he expects that Acosta will be reporting from the White House this afternoon.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders acknowledged the court’s ruling in a statement and said “we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass.” But she added,
“We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. There must be decorum at the White House.”
