After the Trump administration suspended his press credentials, Playboy reporter Brian Karem filed a lawsuit claiming the press secretary violated his due process rights by basing the decision on unwritten rules and depriving him of an opportunity to contest the suspension. The suspension came after Karem engaged in a shouting display on July 11 with conservative radio talk show host Sebastian Gorka. (Politico, August 20, 2019, by Caitlin Oprysko)
The Reporters Committee filed an amicus brief supporting Karem, citing law in the D.C. U.S. Court of Appeals and the public’s constitutional right to know. (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, August 22, 2019)
In suspending Karem, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham cited a Secret Service agent who had intervened in Karem’s encounter with Gorka. But the Justice Department told a federal judge they had no written statement from the agent. Grisham claimed the agent feared the exchange might turn violent. (Deadline, August 28, 2019, by Ted Johnson)