Simon Ateba Sues White House Following 440 Journalist Passes Purged

Simon Ateba, a journalist for Today News Africa, has filed a lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the Secret Service violated his freedom of speech by wrongfully revoking his press badge.

“White House rocked by unprecedented purge of 440 reporters. Today News Africa’s Simon Ateba takes a bold stance, filing a lawsuit against Karine Jean-Pierre. Discover the shocking details of this unprecedented event here: https://t.co/A4Q4yQrQyE“

— Patriot911 (@Patriot911News) August 12, 2023

We won’t stand for the White House targeting journalists for asking the tough questions. #SimonSays join us in fighting for freedom of the press! @pnjaban @simonateba @EricSell @mark_trammell @MurdockJDF pic.twitter.com/auAppSKGSo

— Center for American Liberty (@Liberty_Ctr) August 10, 2023

Ateba claims that the White House press secretary purposely discriminates against certain journalists in favor of more biased questions.

Not too surprising coming out of Biden’s White House.

Yet sad, nevertheless.

Leave it to Democrats to violate the first amendment rights of journalists.

Our friends over at Fox News cover more of the story:

A member of the White House press corps has filed a lawsuit against White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the Secret Service, alleging they wrongfully revoked his press badge.

In his suit filed Thursday, African journalist Simon Ateba argues that the White House policy for revoking press access violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. President Biden’s White House announced new rules in May that – for the first time – allowed for rescinding a press badge.

“Defendants violated Mr. Ateba’s First Amendment rights by changing the criteria for hard pass credentials to intentionally prevent Mr. Ateba from obtaining hard pass access,” the lawsuit reads.

“Defendants did so by adopting credentialing criteria specifically designed to exclude Mr. Ateba from eligibility. Such discrimination amounts to a content-based regulation and viewpoint discrimination against Mr. Ateba in violation of the First Amendment,” it continues.

We won’t stand for the White House targeting journalists for asking the tough questions. #SimonSays join us in fighting for freedom of the press! @pnjaban @simonateba @EricSell @mark_trammell @MurdockJDF pic.twitter.com/auAppSKGSo

— Center for American Liberty (@Liberty_Ctr) August 10, 2023

The White House revoked Ateba’s pass following an outburst during one of the press conferences.

There, Ateba voiced that he was upset that he had not been chosen to speak in several months.

I never like Karine, and I imagine not many people do.

This whole situation is just disgusting.

For an official White House representative to purposely discriminate against certain reporters.

You have to read what Ateba said on Twitter:

This is what the @WhiteHouse told every journalist covering President @JoeBiden. This is what you’re going to do. You all have 3 months to renew your hard pass. You will first get credentialed by the Supreme Court or Congress or lose your hard pass.

No one in America challenged… pic.twitter.com/kfyr1m8foV

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) August 15, 2023

The New York Post has additional information:

“Defendants did so by adopting credentialing criteria specifically designed to exclude Mr. Ateba from eligibility. Such discrimination amounts to a content-based regulation and viewpoint discrimination against Mr. Ateba in violation of the First Amendment.”

Ateba was born in Cameroon and formerly worked in Nigeria and writes for Today News Africa, an online publication he founded. When called on at the White House, he has asked questions about matters that impact Africa — ranging from malaria policy and Temporary Protected Status for Africans living in the US — as well as about topics that other journalists shy away from.

He was the first reporter to ask then-press secretary Jen Psaki about reports that she was job-hunting for a cable news position, before she left the White House for MSNBC, and asked National Security Council spokesman John Kirby if he was effectively a “second press secretary” after he began to lead briefings after stumbles by Jean-Pierre.

Ateba is a true American patriot.

While other journalists were complicit with the changes in regulations that the White House put forth.

Resulting in 440 journalists having their passes revoked.

Ateba stood up to the tyranny of the White House.

Thank God for him.

Let’s wrap this up with another great post that Ateba himself put out on Twitter:

Someone asked me what would happen if mainstream media doesn’t cover my lawsuit against @PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre and @WhiteHouse. My response remains the same: It doesn’t matter, as we anticipate winning.

Amid their animosity towards me, the White House and certain… pic.twitter.com/G95CQMvjUC

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) August 11, 2023