{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-warren-and-shaheen-demand-answers-from-hegseth-following-leadership-shake-up-at-stars-and-stripes", "Blumenthal, Warren, & Shaheen Demand Answers from Hegseth Following Leadership Shake-Up at Stars and Stripes", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are demanding answers from the Department of Defense on the recent placement of an active duty servicemember to serve as a \u201cdeputy\u201d to the publisher at Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that has maintained editorial independence since the Civil War. Following the Department\u2019s decision, Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer announced Tuesday he will retire after more than three decades at the newspaper, citing fundamental differences between his understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes and the Department\u2019s plans for the organization.\n\n\u201cThe placement of an active-duty Public Affairs officer in the senior leadership of an organization whose credibility depends on its independence from the military chain of command raises serious questions,\u201d the Senators wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. \u201cMr. Lederer\u2019s abrupt departure only heightens those concerns, particularly as the Department determines who will assume leadership of Stars and Stripes. This is particularly troubling in light of the Department\u2019s recent actions affecting Stars and Stripes, including the April firing of independent Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after she publicly defended the newspaper\u2019s editorial independence and communicated concerns to Congress.\u201d\n\nThe Senators demanded answers on whether this active duty servicemember will serve as the acting or permanent Publisher following Mr. Lederer\u2019s departure, and what process the Department will use to select Mr. Lederer\u2019s successor. The Trump Administration has increasingly taken aim at controlling Stars and Stripes as part of its larger efforts to restrict freedom of press at the Pentagon.\n\nIn January, Stars and Stripes job applicants were asked to explain how they would advance the Administration\u2019s policy priorities, and the Pentagon\u2019s top public affairs official announced plans to overhaul the newspaper. In March, the Pentagon further accused the newspaper of focusing on \u201cwoke distractions\u201d and imposed new restrictions on the independent publication. In April, the Department fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith\u2014a non-partial watchdog charged with monitoring the paper\u2019s independence.\n\nThe Senators concluded: \u201cFor generations, American servicemembers, particularly those stationed overseas and in combat zones, have relied on Stars and Stripes for credible and independent news. That trust depends on preserving a clear separation between independent journalism and the Department\u2019s public affairs apparatus. At this critical moment of leadership transition, that independence must not be compromised.\u201d\n\nIn June, Senators Blumenthal and Shaheen secured a provision to codify the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027. The Senators\u2019 language would deliver landmark protections for the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes\u2014ensuring the newspaper remains free from censorship, propaganda, and interference from the Pentagon. The provision\u2019s language comes from the Senators\u2019 Stars and Stripes Editorial Independence Act\u2014legislation that clarifies Stars and Stripes\u2019 editorial operations are independent of the military chain of command, military public affairs activities, or other external influences.\n\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and linked below.\n\nDear Secretary Hegseth,\n\nWe write to express our continued concern about the degradation of the longstanding editorial independence of Stars and Stripes. Most recently, our offices have been informed that the Department of Defense assigned an active-duty Public Affairs officer to serve as a \u201cdeputy\u201d to Stars and Stripes Publisher Max Lederer, reportedly without consultation with Mr. Lederer. On August 18, Mr. Lederer announced that he will retire after more than three decades at Stars and Stripes, including nearly two decades as Publisher, citing fundamental differences between his understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes and the Department\u2019s plans for the organization.\n\nThe placement of an active-duty Public Affairs officer in the senior leadership of an organization whose credibility depends on its independence from the military chain of command raises serious questions. Mr. Lederer\u2019s abrupt departure only heightens those concerns, particularly as the Department determines who will assume leadership of Stars and Stripes. This is particularly troubling in light of the Department\u2019s recent actions affecting Stars and Stripes, including the April firing of independent Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after she publicly defended the newspaper\u2019s editorial independence and communicated concerns to Congress.\n\nWe therefore request that you provide, no later than August 28, a detailed explanation of this assignment, including who directed it; the officer\u2019s duties, authorities, and reporting chain; whether the officer will have any role in editorial, personnel, budgetary, or management decisions; whether the officer will serve as acting or permanent Publisher following Mr. Lederer\u2019s departure; and what process and qualifications the Department will use to select Mr. Lederer\u2019s successor. Please also explain what safeguards the Department has put in place to ensure that this officer, or any other Department official, cannot direct, influence, review, or interfere with Stars and Stripes\u2019 editorial decisions or coverage.\n\nFor generations, American servicemembers, particularly those stationed overseas and in combat zones, have relied on Stars and Stripes for credible and independent news. That trust depends on preserving a clear separation between independent journalism and the Department\u2019s public affairs apparatus. At this critical moment of leadership transition, that independence must not be compromised. We urge you to preserve that independence and provide prompt answers regarding these latest developments.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-warren-and-shaheen-demand-answers-from-hegseth-following-leadership-shake-up-at-stars-and-stripes"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.673578914254904, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}