WA state Democrat legislature denies press pass to The Post Millennial's Ari Hoffman

The Washington state legislature, controlled by Democrats, has come under fire for denying press passes to journalists known for asking tough questions and holding elected leaders accountable, including The Post Millennial's Ari Hoffman. The matter has sparked claims of First Amendment civil rights violations and legal concerns.

Hoffman, an award-winning conservative radio host on 570 KVI, was recently informed by the Washington State House of Representatives and the Capitol Correspondents Association (CCA) that his request for a press pass had been denied. The two aforementioned entities are the ones that must approve the passes.

Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the state House, said in a letter that Hoffman was denied a pass due to his "recent engagement in public policy development and advocacy," according to a letter dated January 28. Hoffman, who is Jewish, has become a prominent figure in the Seattle-area Jewish community and frequently advocates on behalf of the Jews and Israel.

Hoffman argued that if his pass was denied, other local media journalists, such as those from the Seattle Times, should be denied press credentials because the paper endorses political candidates. However, no such denials occurred. The legislature appears to have only denied press passes to independent conservative-leaning journalists, including Hoffman, Brandi Kruse of the UnDivided podcast, and the Discovery Institute's Jonathan Choe. Kruse announced her intention to sue.

"The right to gather news is not a privilege granted at the discretion of political bodies or private associations," said Hoffman's counsel Jackson Maynard, the executive director and counsel for Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF), in a letter to Bernard. "It is a core constitutional right. Denying a journalist access to the people's House raises profound legal and civil rights concerns."

Hoffman appealed the decision, but the legislature doubled down and rejected his request once more. "The House has failed to publish clear, objective standards governing press credentials and has instead delegated that authority to a private association whose critera, processes, and even legal status are opaque," Maynard continued in the letter, adding, "Federal courts have repeatedly held that such vague or unpublished standards violate both the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment's due process guarantees."

Maynard has submitted a public records request to obtain correspondence between all of the individuals who were involved in the decision-making process against Hoffman.