Judge Orders White House to Immediately Restore Jim Acosta’s Press Credentials

“I will order defendants immediately restore Mr. Acosta’s hard pass.”

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In a preliminary ruling, a federal judge on Friday ordered the White House to immediately return reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials after they were revoked last week.

“I will order defendants immediately restore Mr. Acosta’s hard pass,” Judge Timothy Kelly said, according to CNN. In response, the White House said that it would follow Kelly’s order and return the hard pass, but noted new rules to “ensure fair and orderly” press conferences would soon be introduced.

“There must be decorum in the White House,” a statement from the press secretary read.

On Tuesday, the cable news network filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and several White House officials, arguing that the decision to revoke Acosta’s press privileges after a tense exchange between him and the president during a post-midterms press conference violated First and Fifth Amendment rights. 

The White House has been accused of using a doctored video to claim that Acosta had inappropriately “placed his hands” on a female intern to justify the suspension. 

This is a breaking news post. We will update as more information becomes available.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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