Fired editors sue Pentagon hot on the heels of press-independence fights; GAP backs whistleblowers and promotes accountability
Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte have filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., alleging retaliation for reporting on deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Pentagon reportedly fired them last week, citing insubordination after a CBS interview. The case underscores tensions over editorial independence in a partially funded military newspaper.