Judge orders White House to restore press card for Playboy journalist

A US district judge on Tuesday ordered the White House to reinstate the press powers of Playboy correspondent Brian Karem after the administration announced last month the withdrawal of his card.

Judge Rudolph Contreras said in a court order that he was granting Karem's motion to obtain a preliminary injunction to block the White House movement. Karem sued the Trump administration after the White House press secretary Stéphanie GrishamStephanie Grisham Playboy sues the White House for suspending press card: "I am provocative and I am a clever" Trump welcomes Kuwaiti leader to the White House in September The Hill's Morning Report – Hurricane heads to Florida: Trump projects announced in August that its pass would be suspended until 14 September.

Contreras wrote in a 24-page notice that the White House had not provided the necessary guidance on what would justify the suspension of a rigid pass outside a press conference and that Karem would probably gain from cause on the basis of his request.

"In the meantime, Karem has shown that even the temporary suspension of his pass inflicted irreparable prejudice to his First Amendment rights," the judge wrote.

Contreras acknowledged the White House's desire to keep control of decorum but concluded that the ability to give a hard pass is "not a mere banality".

Karem celebrated the decision on Twitter.

"God bless the Constitution, freedom of speech, due process and @BoutrousTed and his formidable legal team," he tweeted, tagging his lawyer.

"We do not agree with the district court's decision to issue an injunction that leaves the press essentially free to engage in unprofessional and disruptive conduct at the White House," the House said. Blanche in response to the judge's order. "Mr. Karem's conduct, including the threat of escalating a verbal confrontation into a physical intervention to the point where a Secret Service agent intervened, clearly violated well-understood standards of professional conduct. press secretary must have the ability to deter such unacceptable conduct. "

The association of White House correspondents welcomed this decision.

"The WHCA is satisfied that the US District Court of the District of Columbia has acted to uphold the due process rights of one of our members," said Jonathan Karl, chairman of the group. "The WHCA will continue to advocate for the rights of our members and against government actions that would act as a deterrent to First Amendment-protected journalism." As we have said many times, we believe that all world should conduct itself professionally in the White House. "

Last month, the White House suspended Karem's powers for 30 days, citing his behavior following an event at the Rose Garden in July, attended by a number of people. President TrumpDonald John Trump Poll: 40% of voters do not think Trump will be reelected Mattis: "I'll talk about" policy issues "when the time comes", China contests Trump claims to be a source of fentanyl MOREsupporters of.

As the president returned to the White House after the July 11 event, Karem shouted and asked if Trump would stay and answer questions from the press.

Former White House advisor Sebastian GorkaSebastian Lukacs, GorkaPlayboy correspondent, is suing the White House for suspending his press pass: "I am provocative and I am a clever man" The White House Correspondents Association opposes the suspension of powers Playboy reporter after two months of work MORESitting in the audience, began to engage with Karem before getting up to approach the reporter.

"You are not a journalist.You're a punk," Gorka told Karem, who urged former Trump adviser to "go out and have a long conversation" before chatting with him. other supporters of the president.

Grisham said he interviewed witnesses and watched the video of the event. She wrote in a 13-page statement that it would be too harsh to revoke Karem's license, but that doing nothing was an inadequate response when Karem "disrupted" an event at the White House.

The White House has had an acrimonious relationship with the media going back to the time of the Trump campaign. Press briefings have ceased regularly, and Trump and his allies regularly make fun of some outlets and reporters that he does not like as "false information" and "the enemy of the people" .

The administration has dismissed a CNN reporter Jim AcostaJames (Jim) The House of AcostaWhite Correspondents Association opposes the suspension of Playboy journalist's powers. White House: Trump's only regret about the trade war is not to apply higher tariffs to China.Last year's credentials after indicating that he had made contact with an intern while trying to hang up on the microphone to ask a question to Trump. A federal judge ordered the White House to restore Acosta's powers, claiming that the administration had followed no established process in its decision.

Updated at 21:24