Lawsuit Filed Against Pentagon Over Terminations of Stars and Stripes Staff

<figure><img alt="U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 15, 2026." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/GQDGQPACFZAD3EJIMLVUTAGN24.JPG?auth=6dc725dd7d4ad92e8c0ad8ba8658f1d07d0ecc91a47af7aa6ab35b59149e0f0c&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2767&amp;height=1556" /><figcaption>Kylie Cooper / REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Three staff members from Stars and Stripes, a military news outlet, have filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon, seeking to block their terminations. The lawsuit alleges that the dismissals were retaliatory actions related to the outlet's reporting on conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.</p><p>The plaintiffs, publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte, filed the lawsuit in federal court on August 27, 2026, claiming their terminations violated their First Amendment rights and Defense Department procedures, as reported by Politico.</p><p>Hegseth, the Defense Department, and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell are named as defendants in the case. The complaint states that prior to the publication of a significant story about the USS Abraham Lincoln, the defendants expressed dissatisfaction with Slavin's and Korte's comments made to CBS News regarding their editorial independence.</p><img alt="The Stars and Stripes has been in publication for 165 years. / Toronto Star Archives / Toronto Star via Getty Images" height="1085" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/TUZBMBYTG5AKDGUCOO4IZ4ORFQ.jpg?auth=a2391e8d503f8173ba24853cd5eca6f3784d6c64286053693470950b618f4b72&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1777&amp;height=1085" width="1777" /><p>Korte stated in a July report, "I’m working for Stars and Stripes... not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker. I’m here to cover the military community.” Slavin commented on editorial independence, saying, "Don’t run a perfectly accurate story; run this instead. Here it is, written by the Pentagon. That would be a redline.”</p><p>No immediate disciplinary actions were taken following their comments, as the Pentagon acknowledged these were personal opinions aligned with the outlet’s independence. However, after the publication of the story detailing inadequate living conditions on the USS Lincoln, Hegseth ordered the termination notices for Slavin and Korte, citing insubordination related to their earlier remarks.</p><p>Lederer refused to deliver the termination notices and subsequently resigned, expressing concerns over the potential discontinuation of the print edition. The Pentagon then charged all three staff members with insubordination based on their statements to the media.</p><img alt="Lara Korte announced she was being fired from Stars and Stripes for insubordination. / X" height="432" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/X5ULE34GCVFNRNY2YGUVXL73AI.png?auth=3816f0fd8c4de634ba9a89abb072f6eed53ca72f7d593558ae896215217f3f8f&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1196&amp;height=432" width="1196" /><p>The plaintiffs allege that Hegseth is retaliating against them for the Lincoln story and are requesting a temporary restraining order to prevent their dismissals, warning that they could be terminated as soon as August 28.</p><p>The Daily Beast has contacted the Pentagon for comment. The lawsuit highlights ongoing tensions between the Pentagon and the press, particularly regarding the treatment of military journalists.</p><p>The Stars and Stripes reported on declining mental health among sailors due to unsanitary conditions and shortages while stationed near the Middle East. Hegseth has publicly downplayed these issues, stating, "We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain, has everything we can provide them at every single moment.”</p><p>Parnell previously announced plans to modernize Stars and Stripes, stating the goal was to steer its content away from what he described as "woke distractions that siphon morale." In a CBS interview leading to his firing, Slavin expressed confusion over what Parnell meant by "woke distractions."</p><img alt="Sean Parnell's statement in January about Stars and Stripes. / X" height="1088" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/2VEE5W7XZVAFRNNYV26WEDFLBA.png?auth=daa8c8eaa338789d93bdcd4782f3bf9b42d371787508d60cf69e57eef5260414&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1206&amp;height=1088" width="1206" /><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-petes-free-speech-crackdown-on-stars-and-stripes-staffers-faces-legal-free-speech-lawsuit-challenge/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>