Stars and Stripes publisher, editor and reporter sue Pentagon to challenge their firings

Three staff members from the Stars and Stripes military news outlet have filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, challenging their recent firings. The plaintiffs, publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, accuse the Trump administration of violating their First Amendment free speech rights by firing them in retaliation for publishing a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the U.S.S.

Abraham Lincoln. The Pentagon partially funds Stars and Stripes and fired the trio last week. The lawsuit alleges that the military news outlet's historical editorial independence is critical to its core mission of gathering and providing unbiased, credible journalism to the U.S. military community.

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