Full Breakdown
Pentagon Firing of *Stars and Stripes* Staff Leads to Lawsuit Over Alleged Retaliation
By Drooid · · How we work
Background of the Dispute
Former *Stars and Stripes* publisher Max D. Lederer Jr. says the Pentagon’s decision to separate chief editor Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte was driven by critical reporting rather than the cited “insubordination.” The separation notices referenced a July interview on CBS in which Slavin warned against government censorship and Korte emphasized her role as a newspaper journalist, not a Pentagon spokesperson. Lederer points to an August article on conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln—after a 208-day deployment—and coverage of the evacuation of U.S. personnel from Bahrain as examples of reporting that displeased senior military officials.
Official Positions
The Pentagon, represented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and spokesman Sean Parnell, rejects the retaliation claim, asserting that the three employees were terminated for refusing to follow orders and for “speaking with the government’s voice,” which, in the Pentagon’s view, falls outside First-Amendment protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Covington, speaking at a federal hearing, contended that the separation notices were prepared weeks before the Abraham Lincoln story appeared, implying the firings were unrelated to the reporting. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden declined to block the terminations while the lawsuit proceeds, noting that the plaintiffs’ request for preliminary relief was not granted.
Legal Proceedings
Lederer, Slavin, and Korte filed suit in late August, naming Hegseth, Parnell, the Defense Department, and Pentagon public-affairs official Andrew Brey as defendants. The complaint seeks reversal of the firings and alleges unlawful retaliation. Lederer says discovery will target internal Pentagon communications, including emails involving Hegseth and Parnell, to clarify the motives behind the terminations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have more discovery to do,” — Max D. Lederer
- “We have more arguments to make.” — Max D. Lederer