Democratic senators question Pentagon over Stars and Stripes editorial independence

Three senior Democratic US senators are demanding answers from the Defense Department over the placement of an active-duty service member in a senior role at Stars and Stripes, raising concerns about the newspaper's editorial independence from the military chain of command.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen, all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth questioning the decision.

The senators said assigning an active-duty public affairs officer as a “deputy” to the newspaper’s publisher raises concerns, arguing that Stars and Stripes has maintained editorial independence since the Civil War.

"The 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," they wrote.

The concerns intensified after publisher Max Lederer announced Tuesday that he would retire after more than three decades at the newspaper.

Lederer cited fundamental differences between his understanding of the publication's mission and the Defense Department's plans for the organization.

The senators asked whether the active-duty service member would become Stars and Stripes' acting or permanent publisher following Lederer's departure and what process the department would use to select his successor.

They also cited other developments involving the newspaper, including the April firing of independent ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after she publicly defended its editorial independence and raised concerns with Congress.

In January, applicants for positions at Stars and Stripes were asked how they would advance the administration's policy priorities, while the Pentagon's senior public affairs official announced plans to overhaul the publication.

The Defense Department imposed additional restrictions on the newspaper in March.

"For generations, American servicemembers, particularly those stationed overseas and in combat zones, have relied on Stars and Stripes for credible and independent news," the senators wrote.

"That trust depends on preserving a clear separation between independent journalism and the Department's public affairs apparatus."