ACLU Comment on CNN Lawsuit Ruling

WASHINGTON — A federal court today granted CNN’s motion for a temporary restraining order and ordered the White House to reinstate CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass.

Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s speech, privacy, and technology project, issued the following comment in response:

“Today’s decision reaffirms that no one, not even the president, is above the law. The White House surely hoped that expelling a reporter would deter forceful questioning, but the court’s ruling will have the opposite effect. The freedom of the press is a bedrock principle, and our democracy is strengthened when journalists challenge our leaders rather than defer to them.”