Journalist sues San Diego for revoking press pass based on complaint by pro-Antifa USA Today reporter

"This case is about defending the press against arbitrary gatekeeping by the police," said lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, CEO and founder of the Center for American Liberty. "Journalists must have the freedom to report without fear of retribution. Denying Eva a press pass because of a competitor’s interference directly contravenes her constitutional rights."

Knott and Carless were both covering the City of San Diego’s case against So-Cal Antifa, which resulted in the criminal conviction of 12 of its members earlier this month. Carless, a leftist who reports on “extremism,” essentially attempted to get the court to prevent Knott from reporting on the case.

The lawsuit filed by the Center for American Liberty for Knott charges that the City of San Diego and its police department violated Knott’s First and Fourteenth Amendments rights, citing SDPD’s disregard for established procedures and due process.

According to the complaint, “On August 8, 2022, Plaintiff’s competitor, Will Carless, a national correspondent for USA Today, confronted Knott at the courthouse where both reporters were covering the criminal trial of eleven Antifa members and grilled her about her name. Unsatisfied with Plaintiff’s responses, Carless complained to the San Diego Police Department through its Media Department.”

“In response to this prodding by Plaintiff’s competitor, SDPD took measures to revoke Plaintiff’s press pass,” the suit states.

“Although SDPD has some written procedures regulating the issuance and revocation press passes, they failed to follow those procedures. When Plaintiff inquired about appeal procedures, an unidentified SDPD representative informed her that SDPD had a formal appeals process, but they would only explain the process in detail if Plaintiff first turned in her press pass,” the suit continues. “When Plaintiff recently applied to renew her card, SDPD denied her application.”

The lawsuit aims to reinstate Knott's press credentials and establish a standard for treating all journalists fairly and openly. The goal is to guarantee that conflicts between rivals or administrative prejudice won't impair journalistic freedoms.

“A free press is essential for a healthy democracy, ensuring transparency and informed public discourse,” said Knott in a statement published by the Center for American Liberty. “Recently, my Press Pass was revoked after fifteen years of reporting on court matters in San Diego County, threatening these principles. This lawsuit aims to restore fair media access and uphold the First Amendment here and everywhere,” she said.

Knott was reporting on the So Cal Antifa case with Post Millennial senior editor Andy Ngo at the time her press pass was revoked. The case, which went on for three years, ended earlier this month when a 12-person jury in San Diego County convicted two So Cal Antifa members for their role in riot at Pacific Beach, in which beachgoers were premeditatively attacked by members of the group. Ten of their comrades were already convicted in plea deals before the trial.