Three staffers at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes have filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, alleging recent firings are part of an erosion of the newspaper’s independence.
In a court filing Thursday, the paper’s publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Eric Slavin and Middle East correspondent Lara Corte argued that their First Amendment right to free speech had been violated.
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Stars and Stripes has long billed itself as an independent source of military news, but its operations are funded by the government.
But last week, the three journalists reportedly received termination notices from the Pentagon for alleged insubordination.
This calls into question the Pentagon’s longstanding commitment to respecting the newspaper’s editorial independence.
Thursday’s complaint accuses the Defense Department and several leaders, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, of engaging in “unusual censorship activities.”
“Defendants seek to terminate Plaintiff for speaking out as a civilian in support of the freedom of the press to report on military operations,” the complaint states.
“This (legal) action is intended to prevent a blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists.”
The case will be heard in District Court in Washington, DC.
In a social media post, Korte explained why the journalists filed the lawsuit.
“Everyone has the right to a free and independent press, especially military members,” she wrote. “This lawsuit protects the mission of Stars and Stripes journalists and ensures they can continue to do their jobs without fear or retaliation.”
The legal battle is the latest in which the executive branch has been sued under President Donald Trump for allegedly punishing reporters and media workers who did not adhere to the administration’s views.
The complaint points to a July interview on CBS Sunday Morning as the “origin” of friction between Stars and Stripes reporters and the Trump administration.
Both Korte and Slavin were featured in this segment. A morning news show reporter asked them about their work and the Pentagon’s recent statements suggesting it would try to change the paper’s focus.
“There’s a sign on your desk: Pick your battles,” CBS News reporter David Martin asked Slavin. “Which trench would you like to die in?”
“We need to be able to provide independent news to service members,” Slavin responded. “If we can’t do that, if we can turn into something else, if we’re public relations people, that’s the trenches.”
The CBS interview follows a January statement by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, who said the department would return the Stars and Stripes to its “original mission: coverage for warfighters.”
“We will modernize its operations, refocus content away from morale-sapping wakeful distractions, and adapt to serve a new generation of service members,” Parnell wrote.
“We will focus on combat, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and the military in general.”
But critics say the modernization initiative is a smokescreen for the Pentagon to reshape Star-Spangled Banner coverage.
The suit notes that the paper played a key role in reporting on deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed without a port call since November.
The Stars and Stripes was one of the first media outlets to report on the shortages on board the ship and the mental health struggles of sailors working on record-length deployments.
However, both Trump and Hegseth denied reports about poor living conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, calling such news “fake.”
The lawsuit suggests the recent firings may be in retaliation for Stars and Stripes reporting on the issue.
The suit says that the day after one of the articles was published, the Pentagon contacted the publisher, Mr. Lederer, about the firing of Mr. Korte and Mr. Slavin. The network reportedly cited a CBS interview from several weeks ago as justification.
Mr. Lederer failed to comply with orders to serve notice of termination. Instead, he announced his intention to retire in September.
His memo to Stars and Stripes staff suggested he had disagreements with “the direction the Department of Defense leadership is taking toward the organization.”
But on August 21, the Pentagon issued notices of termination to all three employees, including Lederer.
In April, the paper’s ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, was also fired. Part of her role was to protect the independence of the Stars and Stripes, a newspaper with a storied history dating back to the Civil War.
Korte has worked at the paper since 2024. Colleagues Slavin and Lederer have been with Stars and Stripes for 21 and 25 years, respectively.
“Defense officials and military commanders have long made clear that Stripes is free from interference by military authorities,” the complaint says.
“Stripes’ historical editorial independence is critical to our core mission of collecting and providing unbiased and trusted journalism to the U.S. military community.”
