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Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik
Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte are named as
plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington,
D.C.
The Pentagon, which partially funds the news outlet, fired them
last week. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the
suit’s allegations.
Slavin says he was dismissed for insubordination after giving an
interview to CBS News in which he objected to potential
censorship by the U.S. military. Korte participated in the same
interview. Their lawsuit says they were punished in retaliation
for publishing a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the
U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.
“Stripes’ historical editorial independence is critical to its
core mission of gathering and providing unbiased, credible
journalism to the U.S. military community, particularly
servicemembers and their families stationed overseas,” the suit
says.
Lederer was dismissed shortly after announcing his impending
retirement, effective at the end of September. He said the
Pentagon had installed a new deputy publisher, an active duty
service member, under him at the newspaper without his prior
knowledge.
The suit's plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from
Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers for Good Government,
Government Accountability Project and a Yale Law School clinic.
The Defense Department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are
among the named defendants.
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